The Life of Toussaint L'Ouverture: The Negro Patriot of Hayti

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5/* ■z\A2.&

i^acbac!) CoUege X\\Karg

BRIGHT LEGACY

- h. C«Un« USrmry. T»< oUiM h.lf of li. tator -

THE LIFE

OF

TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE,

i

THE LIFE

fTOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE,

Eljt NtgTo {)atriol of ^agti.
Hv TIIK REV. JOHN R, liEAHU. D.U.

THE LIFE

OF

TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE,

"Wbt Negro ^triot of f^agH:

coxp&isuro AN

ACCODUT OF THE STBUGGLE FOB LIBERTY IN THE ISLAND,

AND

A SKETCH OP ITS HISTORY TO THE
PRESENT PERIOD.

BY

THE REV. JOHN R BEARD, D.D.

JIBKBXB or THB HIBTOBICO-THBOLOOICAL 800IBTT OB LBIP8IC,

BTO.

«W«OTMIMin«

SSitb mtmrroits Cngrafrtngs.

LONDON:
INGRAM, COOKE, AND CO.

And Sold by aU BaokMen,
KDCCCUIL

PREFACE.

The life which is described in the following pages has both a
permanent interest and a permanent value. But the efforts
which are now made to effect the abolition of slavery in the
United States of America, seem to render the present moment
specially fit for the appearance of a memoir of Toussadit
L^OuvERTURE. A hope of affording some aid to the sacred cause
of freedom, specially as involved in the extinction of slavery,
and in the removal of the prejudices on which servitude mainly
depends, has induced the author to prepare the present work for
the press. If apology for such a publication were required, it
might be found in the fact that no detailed li& of TousaAnST
L'OuvERTURE is accessible to the English reader, for the only
memoir of him which exists in our language has long been out
of print.

The sources of information on this subject are found chiefly in
the French language. To several of these the author acknow-
ledges deep obligation.

The tone taken on the subject of negro freedom, in. ELv^^k^Vs^

I

recent writers in two Frenidi reriews, it |iartial and nnjiist,
PtMmblf tiiu may be actribntable to a miii&ltu j)«n. The tikclu
lure no autliora; their aami, oonsMiutaitljr, hiu not yet bom
pleaded. In the author mm on the rabject, either

French or luulatto iiib e meet lArt, predouii|]at«L

Specially predomiuant are : itercsts and prejudices, in

the recently piibli.'shed Lifa i dnt L'Ouverture, by Saixt

Bemt, a mulatto: this writer obviousjy valaes his casta more
than his ooontry or bifl kind.

CONTENTS.

BOOK THE FIEST.

7B0H THE COMIISNCBMBNT OF THE 8TBU00LB FOB LIBBBTT IIT
HATTI TO THE FULL ESTABLI8HMB5T OF TOUSSAIKT L*OUVEB«
T(7BB*8 POWBB.

CHAPTER I.

Deteription of Hajti — its name, mounUdns, ri?en, climate, productions,
and chief cities and towns p. 1

CHAPTER II.

Colnmbns discovers Haytl — TTnder his soccessors the Spanish colony
extirpates the natiyes — ^Tbe Buccaneers lay in the West the basis of
a French colony— its growth and prosperity . • . . • 10

CHAPTER III.

The diverse elements of the population of Hayti — The blacks, the whites,
the mulaitoes — Immorality and servitude 10

CHAPTER IV.

Family, birth, and education of Toussaint L'Ouverture — His promotions
in servitude— His marriage — Reads Raynal, and begins to think him-
self the providentially appointed liberator of his brethren . . *23

CHAPTER V.

Tonssaint's presumed scriptural studies— The Mosaic code — Christian
principles adverse to slavery — Christ, Paul, the Epistle to Philemon . 30

CHAPTER VI.

Immediate causes of the rising of the blacks — Dissensions of the planters ^

— Spread of anti-slavery opinions in Europe — The outbreak of the first
French Revolution — ^Negro insurrection, Toussaint ^totMfU V\% \nMi^Kt
and mistress, and their property •.••%**^^ ^

ClIAfTKU VU.
Conlinucd colliiioD nt ih« {iluucn, tin miiLiiMiHL. ud llic n»gTOU — Ttx

I

planltra vlllin;; lo rectltv EBgliitli ■

eiuie of Lonifi X\'I, — Animl of C'DnmlMionin (roin fna<f — Ktgo-

tiiiioni — RekuioplioD of ImtlUtiM — Toguuiil giiet inllunici . p. 00

cha: Tin.

'r«DC« cqniliiM inLil.itloti aiid lb* whilon— TLr JfcapiKIiDn

of LoDis XVI. ihr.i«i ilie n ^e »nM of Spidn— Thrj mn

ttnii at Iht Krv.iloiiot -Suitt of Frsntli |wliiir*l

purlin in Htvn— (.'nnfloj m — Proclwumlion nf llbeny

for Ihe negroFa pioduc* iin»liii ciflum DoodoB — V

Comntemonlion of llie fl -Ditplrunte of ili« f Inner* ■

— BigiDd «■

CHAPTER IX.

roundnt beconn Buter of a ccnlnl put — li not lednced hj offen of

negro emuxipilion, nnr of bribes lo fainuelf — Bepeli the Engiiib, vbo

iUTade Ihe iiUnd — Aildi ihe ejiiiliel L'ODTertun id hii nunc — Abu-

dons tbe Spftolirds, aod leekt rrcedom throagh Firncb lUiuice . . 7S

CHAPTER X.
roDMiinl L'OnirrtuTf defeats the Sptniih putis«DS — By eilraorii 11117

paigiu.eieeule* ibe moet dirin|r«iploila, and defeata IbeEngliab, vbo

CHAPTER XI.
ToDSaaint L'ODrertnre eonpOM* ■gilMion aod brings hank prosperitf —
i> oppoaed bj the Cammtauoiicr IttdoiiTille, wbo flie* lo France^
Appeala in lelf-JnatUleatioii to the Direotorj ill Paiia ... . 1

CHAPTEB Xll.
Cinl War in tba aontb between Tonnaint L'OuTertnre ud Blgand — Siep
and eaptnn of Jaemel I1

CHAPTEB XIII.

Touaseinl endeafoor* to mp^eaa the iliTe trade in Saint Damingo, and

Iberabj incDia tbe ditpleatnre of Ronme, the repraMntaliTc of Franoe

— Be OTeraomea RIgaud — Bonapane, now lint ooDanl, aendi oommii.

tioneia to die ialind— End of the war in tbe loath . . 1

CONTENTS. IZ

CH.\PTER XIV.

TousRftint L'OuTerture inaogarates a better futore — Publisbes a general
amnestj — Declares bis task accomplisbed id potting an end to ciTil
strife and establishing peace on a sound basis — Takes possession of
Spanish Hayti, and stops the slave trade — Welcomes back the old
colonists — Restores agriculture — Recalls prosperity — Studies personal
appearance on public occasions — Simplicity of his life and manners —
His andienees and receptions — Is held in general respect p. 120

CHAPTER XV.

Toussaint L'Onrerture takes measures for the perpetuation of the happy
condition of Hayti, specially by publishing the draft of a constitution,
in which he is named governor for life, and the great doctrine of Free
Trade is explicitly proclaimed 139

BOOK THE SECOIH).

FBOM THE FITTIKO OUT OF THE EXPEDITION BT BONAPARTE
AOAIN8T SAINT DOMINQO TO THE SUBKIBSION OF TOUSSAINT

l'ouvebtube.

CHAPTER I.

Peace of Amiens — Bonaparte contemplates the restoration of Slavery in
Saint Domingo— Excitement caused by reports to that effect in the
Island — ^Views of Tonssaint L'Onvertnre on the point . . 140

CHAPTER II.

Bonaparte cannot be turned from undertaking an expedition against Tous-
saint — Resolves on the enterprise chiefly to get rid of his republicon
associates in anfls — Restores slavery and the slave-trade — Excepts
Hayti from the decree — Misleads Toussaint's sons — Despatches an
armament under Leclerc 152

CHAPTER III.

Leclerc obtains possession of the chief positions in the Island, and yet is
not master thereof — By arms and by treachery he establishes himself
at the Cape, at Fort Dauphin, at Saint Domingo, and at Port-an-Prince
—Toussaint L'Onverlure depends on his mountain strongholds . 160

CHAPTER IV.

General Leclerc opens a negotiation with Tonssaint L'OuTertnre by means
of his two sons, Isaac and Placide — The negotiation ends in nothing
— ^The French commander-in-chief outlaws Touissant, and prepares
for a campaign * «Vv^

C0HTEMT8.

CHAPTER V.

General Lederc advances against Tonssaint with i25,0OO men, in three
diriftions, intending to uTerwhelm him near Gonaives — The plan is
disconcerted by a check given by Toussaint to General Boehambeaa,
iu the ravine Coolenvre p. 181

CHAPTER VI.

Toussaint L'Onverture prepares Crete-4-Pierrot as a point of resistance
against Leclerc, who, mustering his forces, besieges the redoubt, which,
after the bravest defence, is evaonated by the blacks . . • .188

CHAPTER VII.

Shattered condition of the French army — Dark prospects of Toiiisaint —
Leclerc opens negotiations for peace ; wins over Christophe and Dessa-
lines — Offers to recognise Toussaint as governor-general — Receives
his submission on condition of preserving universal freedom —
L'Ouverture in the quiet of his home 198

BOOK THE THIED.

PBOH THE BAT AGES OF THB YBLLOW FETEB IN HAYTI UNTIL
THE DBPOSITION AND DEATH OF ITS LIBEBATOB.

CHPATER I.

Lederc's uneasy position in Saint Domingo from insufficiency of food,
from the existence in his army of large bodies of blacks, and especially
from a most destructive fever $il3

CHAPTER II.
Bonaparte and Leclerc conspire to effect the arrest of Toussaint L'Onver*
ture, who is treacherously seized, sent to France, and confined in the
Castle of Joux — Partial risings in consequence .... 220

CHAPTER III.
Ijeclerc tries to rale by creating jealousy and division — Ill-treats the men
of colour — Disarms the blacks — ^An insurrection ensues and gains
head until it wrests from the hands of the general nearly all his pos-
sessions — Leclerc dies — Bonaparte resolves to send a new army to
Saint Domingo 237

CHAPTER IV.
loehambean assumes the command — His character, volnptcousness,
tgnanuyy and cruelty — Receives large reiuforcements — Institutes a
symui of terror— -The insurrection becomes general and irresistible—
W Fteneh are driven out of the island 20O f

\

oomnsMTCL xt

CHAPTER V.

Toossunt UOavertare in the Joim Moantains — Appeals in Tain to tUe flrat
consul, who brings about his death by starration— Ontline of his career
and eharaeter .p. 207

BOOK THE FOUETH.

rSOM THB KYACUATION OF HATTI BT THE FftBKCH
TO THE PBESBNT TIXB.

CHAPTER I.

Dessalines promii es safety to the whites, bnt bitterly persecutes them —
Becomes Emperor of Hayti— Sanctions a wise constitution ; jields to
vice and foUy; and is dethroned and slain 281

CHAPTER II.

Fend between mulatto and negro blood, occasioning strife and political
conflicts — Christophe president and sovereign in the north — Petion
president in the sooth — ^The two districts are united under Boyer—
Biche — Soulouqne, the present emperor 303

CHAPTER III.
Conclusion •••• 317

KOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS 821

iLLU?'^ noys.

TOCtSUXT CUTCBSD BT UlATAgEM Pi f. "

TOUaSAin lOUXS DKU) ST KIS GjUOUX P^wMc.

MAT OP HAITI OK ST. DOTtaOO ^a^i 1

ELITZ TUDE OR THE COAST OV AFUCA 17

TOOUAlin; KEADIHS THE ABXi RAIHAL'S WORK 30

CAFE RT. rKAB^IS 53

TOUSSAIKT PAKTUre 7S0X HIS WI7Z UtD CHILDKXS S31

BXVENGE or THK nXRCH OR THE BLACKS !53

THE LIFE

OP

TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE.

BOOK I.

from the comhencehent of the 8tbu00le fob libebtt
in hayti to the full establishment of toussaint
l'ouverture's power.

CHAPTER L

Description of Hayti — its name, mountains, risers, dimatc, productions, and

chief cities and towns.

I AM about to skctcli the history and character of one of those
extraordinaiy men, whom Proyidonce, from time to time, raises
up for the accomplishment of great, benign, and &r-reaching re-
sults. I am about to supply the clearest evidence that there is no
insuperable barrier between the light and the dark-coloured tribes
of our common human species. I am about to exhibit, in a series of
indisputable facts, a proof that the much misunderstood and down-
trodden negro race are capable of the lofliest virtues, and the
most heroic efforts. I am about to present a tacit parallel between
white men and dark men, in which the latter will appear to no
disadvantage. Neither eulogy, however, nor disparagement is
my aim, but the simple love of justice. It is a history — not an
argument — that I purpose to set forth. In prosecuting the nar-
rative, I shall have to conduct the reader tlirough scenes of aggres-
sion, resistance, outrage, revenge, bloodshed, and cruelty, that
grieve and wound the heart, and exciting the deepest pity ft r

B

tlie Bufferera, i

injiiBtice, and tyranny — tin lauigM d^tfaa -woM, wad wftatSfy

tbe aotUTXs of complicatod and teiibk fn**"'*'?' to As OBtnos
of Africa.

Tbe wwtarn portkn flf «w SoMh AllMii O^MfebafwMHl
from the Canbbean Sea <n Os mm&, imd «&» CUT flf XodM
oa tbe north, bj a iiiiniiMiiii of idaadt lAkb, Badar As naas
of tbe West India Ido^ MBm to ^dto fai a hokm aad wavag
lin^ tbe two great peninnhi <£ Soirth and North Aaoin. Of
these i^landa, which, nnder tha gmm^ titla of tha Artilliw^ an
divided into several groa{i% tha larg ta t «id tha a
are, Porto Rico on tha «aa^. OdMoa Abwi^ a*8t I
between tbe two, with Jaa
of the latter. Situated bfltwwn tha aonntenA Bad twwitiett
decree of north latitude, and the sixty-eighth and seventy-fifth
degree of west longitude, Saint Domingo stretches from east to vest
about 390 miles, with an average breadth, from north to south, of
100 miles, and comprises aboot 29,000 square miles, or 18,816,000
s({nare acres ; — ^beiug foor times as large as JaoLsifia, and nearly
equal in extent to Ireland. Its original name, and that by which it
is now generally known, Hayti — which, in the Caribbean tongn^
signifies a land of fflotmCotn* — is truly descriptiTe of its sur&oe
and goienl appearance From a central point, which near the
middle of the island rises to the height of some 6,000 feet sbore
tbe level of the sea, branches, having parallel ranges on tbo north
and on the south, run through the whole length of the island, —
giving it somewhat tbe shape and aspect of a huge tortoise. The
mountain ridges for the most part extend to the sea, above
which they stand in lofty precipices, forming numerous head-
lands and promontories ; or, retiring before the ocean, give place
to ample and commodious bays. Of theae bays or harbours, three
deaerre mention ; not only for their extraordinary natural capa-
bilities, but for the frequoity with which two of them, at least,
win appear in these pages. On the north-west of Hayti, is the
Bay of Samaria, with it« deep recesses and curving shores, ter-
minating in Ci^M Haman* on the nmtb, and Cape Raphael on
tbe south. At the opposite end of the conntty, is the raagnifi-

T0C8SAINT l'OUYERTUBE.

cent hftrbour called tlie Bay Port an Prince, enclosing tbe long
and rockj isle Gonaye— on tbe north of which is the channel St.
Marc, and on the sonth the channel Gonave. Important as is
the part '^ndiich this harbour sustains in the history of the land,
scarcely, if at all less important, is the bay which has Ci^
Francis for its western point, and Grange for its eastern, com-
prising on the latter side the minor, but well-sheltered Bay of
Manoenille; and in the former, the large roadstead of Cape
FrBDi90i&

The mountains running east and west break asunder, and sink
down, so as to form three spacious valleys, which are watered by the
tliree principal rivers. The Eiver Youna, having its sources ia
Mount La Vega, in the north-east of the island, and receiving
many tributaries from the north and the south,, issues in the Bay
of Samana. The Grand Yaque, rising on the western side of the
Watershed — of which La Vega may be considered as the dividing
line, — ^flows throu^ the lengthened plain of St. Jago, until it
reaches the sea in the Bay of Mancenille. The chief river is the
Artibonite, on the west, which, having its ultimate q)rings in the
central group of mountains, waters the valleys of St. Thomas, c^
Banica, of Goave ; and turning suddenly to the north, along the
western side of the mountains of Cahos, £sdls into the ocean a
little south of the Bay of Gonaives, after a long and winding
course. While these rivers run from east to west and west to
east, innumerable streams flow in a northern and southern direc-
tion, proceeding at right angles fnm. the branches of the grea6
trunk. Hayti is a well-watered land; espedaHlj is it so in
the west, where several lakes and tarns adorn and enrich the
country. The more eastern districts are rugged as well as lofty,
but the other parts are beautifully diversified with romantic
glens, pn>lific vales, and rank savannahs. Though so moimtain-
ousy the sur^EUse is overspread with vegetation, the highest
zsummits being crowned with foresta Placed within the tropics,
Hayti has a' hot yet humid climate, with a temperature of veiy
great variations — so that while in the deep valleys the sun ia
almost intolerable, on the loftiest mountains of the interior, a

B 2

fire is often nocesaary to comfort. The a»]oitr of tbe mm is on
the coast moderst«(l by the sea and loud brecxee, which blow in
sncceasioa. Ifcavy r&ins fnU in itio months of M&y and June.
HumcameB are less frequent in Unfti than the rest of the
AntUloo. Tho climate, howorer, in UMe to great and sudden
chuigea, ■whicli briugiEj- ■*—"• ••■•""cirt, and sunshine, with the
intensity of tropical 1& rm and now enervate the

natives, and often provi uj>_.oiu to Europeans. On so

nch a soil human life in i supportod, and the inducements

to the labotrn of inJustr a ther numerous nor strong.
Tet, in anspiLnous iicri Jtory, Haj-ti has been made

abundantly pnxluctiveL

At the time when tb » — Uiat vhoec career we hav«
to describe £i-st appeann ud tin ne, the island was divided
between two European powras ; tbe east was posKesed by the
Spaniard^ the west and south by the French. It is with tb«
latta portion that this history is mostly concerned. Of the
Spanish poHseaaiona, thei«fore, it may suffice to direct attention
to two principal cities. The oldest European city is Santo
Domingo, which had the honour of giving a name to the whole
island. It was founded by Bartholomew, the brother of Colum-
bus, who is said to have so called it in honour of his father, who
bore that name. Santo Domingo stands in the south-eastem
part of the island, at the north of the Kiver Ozama. Santiago
holds a fine position in the plain of that name, near the northran
end of a line passing somewhere about the middle of the island.
The French colony was divided into three provinces — that of the
north, that of the west, and that of the south. At the beginning
of the French Revolution of 1789, these provinces were trans-
formed into three corresponding departments. The three pro-
Tinces, or departments, were subdivided into twelve districts,
each bearing the name of its chief city. The twelve distiicts
were — in the north, the Cape, or Cap Fnnfois, Fort Dauphin,
Fort-de-Faix, Hole Saint Kicholas; in the west, Port-au-Frince,
Leogane, Saint Marc, Petit Qoave ; and in the south, Jer£mie,
Cape Tiburon, Cajes and St. Louis. The district of the Cape

T0U8SAI5T l'oUVEBTCRE.

comprised the Cape, La Plaine-du-Nord, just above tbe Cape,
Limonade, between the two ; Acul, west of the Cape, and on the
coast, Sainte Suzanne ; with Morin, La Grande Biyi^, Dondon,
Marmelade,Limb6, PortMargot, Plaisance,and Borgue — thirteen
parishes. The district Fort Dauphin, in the cast of the northern
department, comprised Fort Dauphin itself, Ouanaminthe, on the
south of it, Vallidre, Terrier Kouge, and Trou — five parishes.
The district of the Port-dc-Paix comprised, Port-de-Paix, Petit-
Saint-Louis, Jean Rabel, and Gros Mome— four parishes. The
district of the M61e Saint Nicholas comprised Saint Nicholas
and Bombarde, two parishes. There were thus four-and-twenty
parishes in the northern department. The district Port-au-
Prince comprised, Port-au-Prince, Croix-des-Bosquets, on the
north, Arcahaje on the north-west, and Mirebalais on the north-
east — four parishes. The district of L6ogane was identical with
the parish of the same name. The district of Saint Marc com-
prised, Saint Itfarc, Petite Bivi^re, Gonaives — three parishes.
The district of Petit-Goave comprised Petit Goave, Grand Goave,
Baynet, Jacmel, and Cayes-Jacmel — five parishes. Fourteen
parishes made up the western province. The district J6r6mie
comprised J6r6mie and Cap Dame-Marie — ^two parishes. The
district of Tiburon comprised Capo Tiburon and Coteaux — ^two
parishes. The district of Cayes comprised Cayes and Torbeck —
two parishes. The district of Saint Louis comprised, Saint Louis,
Anse-Yeau, Fond-Cavaillon and Acquin — five parishes. There
were eleven parislies in the south.

Number of parishes in the north, . . 24

in the west, . . 14
in the south, . . 11

Total number of parishes, . . 49

The study of the map will show that these, the districts under
the dominion of France, covered only the west of the island. As,
however, they contained the chief centres of civilization, and the

6 THE LIFE OF

ohief places which occur in this history, our end is answered by
the geographical details now given.

The appearance of the island from the ocean is thus described
by an eye-witness: — " The bold outlines of the mountains, which
in many places approached to within twenty miles of the shore,
and the numerous stupendous cliflSs which beetled over it, casting
their shadows to a great distance in the deep, — ^the dark retreat-
ing bays, particularly that of Somana, and extensive plains
opening inland between the lofty dond-covered hills, or running
£)r uncounted leagues by the sea side, covered with trees and
bushes, but affording no glimpse of a human habitation, — ^pre-
sented a picture of gloom and grandeur, calculated deeply to
impress the mind; such a picture as dense solitude, meniiveBed
by a single trace of civilization, is ever apt to produce. Where,
we inquired of ourselves, are the people of this country? Where
its cultivation? Are the anoiBnt Indian possessors of the soil all
extinct, and their oruel conquerors and successors entombed with
them in a common grave? For hundreds of miles, as we swi^
along its shores we saw no living thing, but now and then a
maariner in a solitary ski£^ or birds of the land and ocean sailing
in the air, as if to show us that nature had not wholly lost its
animation, and sunk into the sleep of death."*

The interior of B[ayti, however, lacks neither inhabitants nor
oatozal beauty. The mountains rise in bold and varying outline
agiZDBt the brilHant skies, and in almost every part forma back-
ground of great and impressive e£Ei9ct. Brdcen by deep ravines,
and appearing in bare and rugged precipices, they present a con-
tinued variety of imposing objects which sometimes rise into the
sublime. The valleys and plains arc rich at once in verdure and
beauty, while from elevated spots you may enjoy the sight of
the great centres of civilization, Cap-Fran^ais, Port-de-Paix,
Saint-Marc, Port-au-Prince, dro., busy in the various pursuits of
city and commercial life. Alas ! that scenes so attractive shoidd,
at the time our narrative commenoes, have been disturbed and

*<'Bzirfl^oteioaHi7ti,"bj JohnCandlflr. Laackm, 1€42.

TOUSSAINT L'oUVERTURE.

made repolahre by the forced labour of myriads of human beingB
occupied on the numerous phmtations, which, but for greed, and
<yproMioii, and cruelty, -would themselTes have muHiplded the
nstoral duums of the island.

The wealth of Hayti comes from its soil. It is an essentially
agricultural country. Cereal products are not cuHivated ; but
maiae or Indian com grows there ; and rice flourishes in the
savannahs. Hie negro Hves on manioc chiefly, and obtains other
fareadstuffs firom the United States and from Canada. There
sre, however, other substances which supply him with food when
oom €ul8 — «uch as bananas, yams, and potatoes. Plantation-
tillage is the chief occupation. This culture embraces sugar,
coffee, -ootton, indigo, and cotton. In 1789, the French portion
of the island contained 793 sugar plantations, 3,117 coffee plan-
taitiaBB, 789 cotton plantations, and 182 estal^shments lor
making rmn, besides other minor &ctorie8 and woriuhops. In
1791, vety laige capitals were employed in carrying on these
esltivations ; the capitals were sunk partly in slaves and partly
in impkmentB of husbandry ; in the cufltivation of sugar there
employed a capital of above flfty millions of fivres ^ forty-
millions in coffee, and twenty-one millions in cotton ; and
in 1776, there was emplo3red a capital of sixty-three millions in
tiie coiltivstion of indigo. The total value of the pSaoitations
was immense, as may be learnt flrom the &ct, that the vahie cf
the prodncts cf the French portion was estimated,

In 1767 at 75,000,000 fiamcs.
y, 1774 „ 82,000,000 „
„ 1776 „ 95,148,600 „
„ 1789 „ 175,990,000 „

The last value is the highest. The sum represents the supreme
pressure of servitude, and is ccmseqpently ameasnre of the injury
done to the black dwellers in Saint Domingo. Already, in 1 801,
the vahie fell to 65,352,039— ru other words, the slave^masters

* A lirrG, or firanc, is worth about ten pence of our money.

were, at the end of twa yet^n, [mnishwl lor tboir h^natica uid
tTTanny by thb imni&liate loss of nearly iwo-tUirda of tbeir pro-
perty; 80 unceit.iiu is tlie tenure of itl-gutUoi gain. Among t^o
territorial riclK'.>- <>( Ilayti. its btiasta of btinlon and oxen moiA
take a high jK.sition. In 1789. tlio mul sapported 57.782
horses ; 48,833 muJes, and '"7 "'" '"iTtied f»ti\e.

Hayti poeseh'^L's an abunuont aoanx of opulence in its QUlner-
ooa forest^ whii,-)! jtroducc varioiu ids of precious wood cm-
ployed in making' iLiid decurating furniture and artioltw of tanUt,

In the year 1 7 O t , guods wore cxporttHl from liayti to France
to the Talne of l.'13,-^34,423 franca — that in, akom five mitUoni
gteiling. The t-miro value of the territorial richm of tlu' chief
plantatiooB, i&uluilitjg tJaves, amount^ to no leu a som than
901,893,331 franco. Curious is it in the statistical table issued
by authority, whence we ieam these paiticnlai^ to see " Heroes
and animula employed in husbandry" put into the same class.
Observe, too, the iteou. The value of the " negroes old and new,
large and small" is set down at 7o8.333,334 francs, while the
other anmuUs are worth only 5,226,667 franca. We thus leant,
that three-fourths of the wealth of the plantera conststed in their
riaven. Such was the stake which was at isue in the struggle
for freedom of which we are about to speak.

The population of Hayti was, in the year 1834, accounted to
amount to 935,335 individuals. This is not a large number for
to fertile a land. But it has been questioned whether more than
700,000 dwelt oa the soil. Doubtless, the ware which have suc-
cessively agitated the country for more than half a centuiy, have
greatly thinned the population. There has, however, been a con-
stant immigration into Hayti from neighbouring islands, and
even from the continent of America. Of the total number of
inhabitants just given, there were, in 1624,

In the Kingdom of Henry L (Christophe) 367,721
In the fi«pubhc under P£tion .... 506,146
In the old Spasiah District ...... 61,468

935,335

ToussAiirr l'ouvertcjre.

This mass, viewed in regard to origin, was divided thus :•

Negroes 819,000

Men of mixed blood . . . 105,000
Red Indians ..... 1,500

Whites 500

Foreigners 10,000

93G,000

The small number of whites was occasioned by the strict
enforcement of the law which declared, " No white of any nation
whatever shall set his foot on. this territory, in the quality of a
master or proprietor."

The language prevalent in the west and north is the French ;
that generally used in the East is the Spanish. Neither is spoken
in purity. Not only has the French the ordinary grammatical
&ults which belong to the uneducated, but out of the peculiar
formation of the negro organs of speech, the peculiar relations
in which they have stood in social and political life, as well as
the nature of the climate and the products of the soil, a
Haytian patois has been formed which can scarcely be under-
stood by Frenchmen exclusively accustomed to their pure
mother tongue. And while the educated classes speak and
write what in courtesy may be called classic French, the few
authors whom the island has produced do not appear capable of
imitating, if they are capable of appreciating, the purity, ease,
point, and flow which characterize the best French prose
writers.

The religion of Hayti is the Roman Catholic. This form of
religion is established by law. Under former governments
other systems were tolerated. At present the spirit of exclu-
siveness predominates. The religion of Rome exists among the
people in a corrupt state, nor are the highest functionaries free
from a gross superstition, which takes much of its force from old
African traditions and observances, as well as from the peculiar
susceptibilities of the negro temperament. As soon as the native
chie& began to obtain political power in their struggle for free-

10

dom, tbey proctiotUy r
cation, wtll knowing tkst oofy hj — "-"j 1l
could thiy acooatplish tlucr tiA ^id fM^M
Accordi]ig1y «dw»tional n^Hb^ifcmm itim, i

ments have reoeivwi &voar
Bpirit of the gorenunent of Um d^. At ptawnt they
support less libenl than that whidi ia Lwlnwud on tb i
The enaning miawtnm wHl^Mm Ik mamm tmmmtii
meat whid Itave i iilBlilMiriJ IkamiAfm m Ilifli wm I
of the plantefBaad of
exaggeration, wliich ia
the preacMt niler, sot aiiiwrt with 4fa «ilk af |hM
widi cTon tiiat of ^jng, miofm tte hi|^«OMttig «gi

dir«f

CHAPTER IT.

Colnmbiu diMioTen tl*j^ — undrr hii laccancm, the 9p«nu}i ttilaaj ntiipale
tlieBatiTn—TheBneniMmbjiiilbrimt tin barii of the Frmdi BdloBjr—

We owe the diBcovety of Hayti to Coltunbus. When oa. his
first voyage lie had kA the Leocayan ialands, be, on the fifth of
December, 1492, caMie in «ght of Bayti, which at first he re-
garded as the ContiiMDt Having, nnder the shelter of a hay,
oast anohM- at the weitera ex^'muty of the island, and naaaed
the (pot Saint NichcJas, in ktMUNir of the «aint of the day, he
Beat laai to expl(«« the covntiy. Theae, on thfiir retnm, maAe
to CkdamboD a report, wliich was the more attzaotive, becMMe
th^ had fonnd in the new countiy reaanblancea ta Uxir native
labd- A ftinrm'' imprGwicni having befsi matlf c

TOCSSADTT l'oUTEBTURE. 11

especially by the songs which he heard in the air, and by fishes
which had been canght on the coast, he named the island Espag-
nola, (Hispaniola,) or Little Spam, Forthwith on his arrival,
Colombas b^an to inquire for gold; the answers whidi he
received, induced him to direct his course towards the soutlL
On his way, he entered a port which he called Yalparaiso, now
Port<le-Paix ; and in this and a second visit occupied and named
other spots, taking possession of the country on behalf of his
patrons Ferdinand and Isabella, sovereigns of Spain. The retam
of Columbtts to Europe, after his first voyage, was accompanied
by triumphs and marvels which directed the attention of the
civilised world to the newly-discovered countries; and, exciting
amlutton and cupidity, originated the mowment which precipi-
tated Europeans on the American shores, and not only occasioDed
lihere oppres s ion and cruelty, but introduced with African blood
worse than African slavery, big with evils the most multifonn
and the most terrible.

At ihfi time of its discovery, Hayti was occupied by — ^if we
may trust the reports — a million of inhabitants, of the Oaribbean
Xttce: they were dark in cc^our, short and small in person, and
flimpte in their modes of life. Amid the abundance of nature,
tbey eamly gained a subsistenoe, and passed their many leisure
hours either in unthinking repose, or in dances, enlivened by
drums and varied with songs. Polygamy was not only practiKd
but sanctioned. A petty sovereign is said to have had a harem
of two^and-thirty wives. Standing but a few degrees above
barbarism, the natives were under the dominion of five petty
kings or chiefis, called Caciques, who possessed absolute power;
and were subject to the yet more rigorous sway of priests or Butios,
to whom superstition lent an influence which was the greater
because it included the resources of the physidan as well as those
of the enchanter. Under a repulsive exterior, the Haytians^
however, acknowledged a supreme power — the Author of all
things, and entertained a dim idea of a future life, involving
rewards and punishments correspondent to their low moral condi-^
turn and gross concqitions.

THE UFE or

On the ariiviil of L'uliunba*. the native*, alanned, 1
into their U'limo forvstA, Gmliully iron Wk, tl»7 I
famili&riz»l with ihc aew-tntaen. of whnw u]u»or iloigiut Uiejr
were utterly itciiuraiit. Vitli tiiai uauBtonoc, Columtius invctctl,
near Cap Fniii^;»i:', a naudl foKrem which hu (lr:>ijpi»U(l XnTiilwi,
(nativity,) tvoui tbt; day of thn lutUvity, (DecctnWr Suck) oD
which it wa^ n >m[ik't«d. lu this, the first «(lific« built bjr
Eurapeans on ihe Western lleniisphcre, he )iUced a {^irioou of
eight^and-thlity men. Wheu (ou the 27th of October, I4i>3)
he returned, lit- lijiiinl the settlouient in ruins, aod learned thbt
his men, im|-< Ik^'l by the thiret fur gold, had uuule their waj to
the mountaiiu-: <>f Oil>ao, rc}ii:irU-d to ountaiu miueral treasures.
He erected aiiotlii'riitrougholduii the cast of Ca^M Moute Chcisba.
There, under tlm umiui of T-»l— i'.i_ uuie ibv iiisl citj* *i-"~''i"l 1^
the Spaniards, who thence went forth in quest of the much-
coveted precious ore. Meanwhile the new colony bad seriooa
difficulties to stru^le with. Barely were th^ saved Etcaa the
devastations of a bmiiie. Their acts of injustice drove the
natives into open assault, which it required the skill and braveiT'
of Columbus to overcome. His recall to Europe set all things
in confiision. Restrained in some degree by his moderation and
kiunanity, the natives on his departure rose against his brother
and representative, Bartholomew ; and receiving support from
another of his officers, namely, Rolando Ximenes, they aspired to
recover the dominion of the island. They failed in their nnder-
talcing, the rather that Bartholomew knew how to gain for
himself the advantage of a judiciouE and benevolent coarse. The
love of a young Spaniard, named Diaz, for the daughter of a native
chief, led Bartholomew to the mouth of the river Ozama.
Finding the locality very superior, he built a citadel and founded
a city there, which, under the name of Santo Domingo, he made
his head quarter^ intending it to be the capital of the country.
Meanwhile Ximenes, at Port Isabella, carried on his opposition
to the Government. Columbus's return to the island in 1498
did not bring back the traitor to his du^. Meanwhile, in Spain
a storm had broken forth against Columbus, which oocMi<med

ToussAnrr L*ouyERT(jRE. 13

his recall in 1499. The discoverer of the new world was pat in
chains and thrown into prison by his successor, Bovadillo.
With the departure of Columbus, the spirit of the Spanish rule
underwent a total change. The natives, whom he and his brother
had treated as subjects, were hy Bovadillo treated as slaves.
Thousands of their best men were sent to extract gold from the
mines, and when they rapidly perished in labours too severe for
them, the loss was constantly made up by new supplies. In
1501, Bovadillo was recalled. His successor, Ovando, was
equally unmerciful. On the death of Queen Isabella and
Colimibus, the Haytians lost the only persons who cared to
mitigate their lot. Then aU consideration towards them dis-
appeared. They were employed in the most exhausting toil,
they were misused in every manner; torn from the bosom of
their &milie8, they were driven into the remotest parts of the
island, unprovided with even the bare necessaries of life. In
1506, a royal decree consigned the remainder as slaves to the
adventurers, and Ovando failed not to carry the unchristian and
inhuman ordinance into full effect, especially in regard to those
who were at work in the mines, four of which were very produc-
tive. A rising which took place in 1502, had no other result
than to rivet the chains under which the natives groaned and
perished. Another in 1503, brought Anacoana, a native queen,
to the scaffold. In 1507^ the number of the Haytians had by
toil, hunger, and the sword, been reduced from a million down to
sixty thousand persons. Of little service was it that about this
time, Pedro d*Atenza introduced the sugar-cane from the
Canaries, or that Gronzalez, having set up the first sugar-mill,
gave an impulse to agriculture ; there were no hands to carry on
the works, for the master laboured not, and the slave was beneath
the sod. Ovando made an effort to prociu*e labourers from the
Leucayan isles. Forty thousand of these victims were transported
to Hayti ; they also sank under the labour. In 151 1, there were
only fourteen thousand red men left on the island ; and they
disappeared more and more in spite of the exertions for their
preservation made by the noble Las Casas. In 1519, a young

14 THE UFE or

(Jaeique put bimself at the head of the few remaining ifqrtiaBm~
ami after a bloody war of thirteen years' clnratioc, extorted for
himself and followers a small territory on the nortli-eafit of Saiat
Domingo, when: their deacendauts itre ^d to remiui^ to the
present day.

Greatly did the island suffer by the loss of its native popu-
latiun ; the working of the gold mines ceased, or was earned
uQ to a small i-stmt, and with incon^idei'able retjulu ; agriculture
proceeded only here iind there, and with tardy steps; the
Ltilany declined constantly more and moi-e on every side. The
mctro]M)Iii4 alone withstood the prevalent causes of decay, for it
had becomi; a commercial entreput between the old world and
the new. Its proB[i«rity, however, was, in ISHG, seriously sh&keu
by the English eommaniler, Francis Blake, Avbo, having Heiz«4 J
thu city, did uot quit it until he bad laid one half in ruins. .49
^ill greater ealamity impended. The reputed riches of tl»^
new world, and the wide B|)ace8 of ojwn sea which its discoveiy
made known, incited thither muritime adventarers &om the
coasts of Enrojie. Men of degraded character and buondleas
daring, finding it difficult to procure a subsistence by piracy
and contraband trade in their old eastern haunts, now, from the
newly-awokened apirit of maritime enterpri^, frequented, if
not Ecoured by the vessels of England, Holland and France,
hui'rivd away with fresh hopes into the western ocean, and
swarmed wherever plunder seemed likely to reward theii' recklesn
hardihood.

Of these, known in luMtory aa the buccaneers, a party toiA^
pouniio&(lG30) >d' theiHlc of Tort^uga. which lied off the n
w«t of Haytl With thia, as a centre of opemtion, thef'
carried on ceaaeless depredations against Huyti, thi- coasts of
which they distnrbod and plundered, putting an end to its
trade and occui:^ing its capital The coin-t of Madrid, being
i-fiiued in self-defence, i^eut a fleet to Tortuga, who, taking po^
■eaion of thtt island, destroyed whittevci' of the buccaneers t~
•'uuld find -. but tbe sncccKS uuly made the pirates tuure wat
and more enterprising. When the fleet had quitted Tortug

tookL J
sts of
gpoa- ^

TOUSSAINT L*OUYEETUR£. 15

they^ agttixi» in 1638, made theniBelyes majBters there, and after
fortifjiag the ialand and establisihing a sort of constitution,
made it a centre of piratical resources and aggressions, whence
they at their pleaaore sallied ibrth to plunder and destro j shipa
of all nations, wreaking their Yengeanoe chiefly on such as came
£rom Spain. In time, however, these corsairs met with due
punishment at the hands of civilised nations.

A remnant of the huccaneers, of French extraction, effected
a settlement on the south-western shcHres of Hayti, the possessidn
of which they successfully maintained against Spcdn, the then
recognised mistress of the island. In their new possessions they
applied to the tillage of the land ; hut becoming aware of the
difficulty of maintjiining their hold without assistance, they ap»
plied to France. Their claim was heard. In 16G1, Dageron
was sent to Hayti, with authority to take its government into
his hands, and accordingly effected there, in IG60, a regularly
constituted settlement. . At this time the Spanish colony, which
was scattered over the east of the island, consisted only ot
fourteen thousand firee men, white and black, with the same
number of slaves : two thousand maroons, moreover, prowled
about the interior, and were in constant hostility with the
colonists.

As yet, the French colony in the west was very weak. Its
chief centre was in Tortuga. It had other settlements at Port
de Paix, Port Margot, and LSogane. When Dageron came to
Hayti with the title of governor, the Spaniards became more
attentive to what went on in the west of the island. They pro-
ceeded to attack the French settlements, but with results so
unsatiafactogy, that the new French governor, Pouancey, drove
them from all their positions in the west. His successcnr, Cussy,
who took the hehn in 1 685, was less successful The Spaniards
made head against him, and the French power was nearly anni-
hilated. In 1691, France made another effort. The new
governor, Ducasse, restored her dominion, and in the peace of
Byswick, Spain found itself obliged to cede to France the
western half of Hayti With characteristic enterpr^ and . ap-

16

piioation, the Frendt mxM t

Spanuih portion in the Blwrti oCaocU iwlftrt^; mmI m Ob

long peaoe which folhnnd themn tt A»,tfmitk loeoMiM^

niiiil r iiii^iii. (nil IhiiTJMiih mlhil thfll]Hit iif Ihii i^ai,)

became the moat importKit oola^ iHrieh Fiaaee pOMMnd n
the West Indies. It ■ n fcad, iitdnd, ftoB IaVb «
openttiuns, and from other avrntm, bnt on the lAole it «
great and rapid progreoi until the oaOnek of the Cut iwnhh
tioDiuy troubles in the Bother o uunti y .

Side by side with the adniwe of ^rieohon^ opokBoe ifmi
on all sides, and pound untold treiawi into Avnee. In m
similar proportion the pt^nletion expanded, ao that ia. ITM^
there were in the weatern half of th« Uand BSSfiU -bAafci-
tanta, of whom only 37,717 were white men, and Sl,800 ftw
men of colour, while the slaTes amotinted to 435,528.

CHAPTER ni.

The large black population of Hayti was of African origin.
Having been stolen trom their native laud, they were trans-
planted in the island to become beasts of burden to their
masters. Tfae infamons slaTe-trade was then at its height.
Kationa and individuals who stood at the head of the civilised
world, and prided themselves in the name of Christian, were not
ashamed to traffic in the bodies and the soula of their fellow-
men. Three hundred vessels, employed every year in that de-
testable traffic, spread robbery, conflagration, and carnage over
the coasts and the lands of Africa. Eighty tfaouBBod men,
women and children, torn from their homes, were loaded with
ebaina, and thrown into the holds of the ships, a prey to deso-

T0US8AINT L*OUVERTURE. 17

lation and despair. In vain had the laws and usages of Africa,
less unjust and cruel than those of Christian countries, forbidden
the sale of men bom in slavery, permitting the outrage only in
the case of persons taken in war, or such as had lost their
liberty by debt or crime. Cupidity created an ever-growing
demand ; the price of human flesh rose in the market; the re-
quired supply followed. The African princes, smitten with the
love of lucre, disregarded the established limitations, and for
their own bad purposes multiplied the causes which entailed the
loss of liberty. Proceeding from a leas to a greater wrong, they
undertook wars expressly for the purpose of gaining captives
for the slave mart, and when still the demand went on increas-
ing^ they became wholesale robbers of men, and seized a village,
or scoured a district. From the coasts the devastation spread
into the interior. A regularly organised system came into ope-
ration, which constantly sent to the sea-shore thousands of inno-
cent and unfortunate creatures to whom death would have been
a happy lot. In the year 1778, not fewer than one hundred
thousand of its black inhabitants were forcibly and cruelly car-
ried away from Africa.

Driven on board the ships which waited their arrival, these
poor wretches, who had been accustomed to live in freedom and
roam at large, were thrust into a space scarcely large enough to
receive their coffin. If a storm arose the ports were closed as a
measure of safety. The precaution shut out light and air. Then
who can say what torments the negroes underwent ? Thousands
perished by suffocation — ^happily, even at the cost of Hfe, de-
livered frt>m their frightful agonies. Death, however, brought
loss to their majsters, and therefore it was warded off when
possible by inflictions which, in stimulating the frame, kept the
vital energy in action. And when it was found that grief an
degradation proved almost as deadly as bad air and no air at
all, the victims were forced to dance and were insulted with
music. If on the ceasing of the tempest and the temporary dis-
appearance of the plague, things resumed their ordinary course,
lust and brutality outraged mothers and daughters imscrupu-
lously, preferring as victims the yoimg and the innocent. When.

r

18

any wore overcome hj inounbfe diMMe^ tiiegr ^rave tlnowa into
the ooeaii while yet ali^ u wortWiM and uniliihln tttklan
In shipwreck, the living ourgo of hianaii bamigp WBn nifrhlf ly
abandoned. Fifteen thooMiidy it has been ealeakfeedy— fiftem
thousand corpses every year ioattcnd m the ocean, the greater
part of which were thrown on the ihom of the two liemK
spheres, marked the bloody and deadly tnck of the InAeAil
slave-trade.

Hayti every year opened iti marketi to twenty fhownd
slaves. A degradation awaited them on the threehold of eervi-
tude. With a burning iron they itemped on the braait of eaeh
slave, women as well as men, the name of their master, and
that of the plantation where they were to toil There the new-
comer found everything strange, — the skies^ the ooontiy, the
language, the labour, the mode of life, the visage of his master, —
all was strange. Taking their place among their companions in
misfortune, they heard speak only of what they endured, and
saw the marks of the punishments they had received. Among
' the old hands,* few had reached advanced years ; and of the
new ones, many died of grief The high spirit of the men was
bowed down. For the two first years the vromen were not sel-
dom struck with sterility. In earlier times the proprietors had
not wanted humanity, but riches had corrupted their hearts now;
and giving themselves up to ease and voluptuousness, they
thought of their slaves only as sources of income whence the ut-
most was to be drawn. It is not meant that the slaves of the
French Haytian planters were worse treated than other slaves.
Their condition, on the whole, was slightly better. But the
inherent evils of slavery are very baneful and very numerous.
Those evils prevailed in HaytL The slave is helpless, ignorant,
morally low, and almost morally dead — ^reduced as nearly as may
be to a tool, a mere labouring machine, yet endued with strong
emotions and burning passions. The master is all-powerful, self-
willed, capricious, greedy of gain, and given to pleasure. In
such a social condition vice and misery must abound ; wherever
such a social condition has existed, vice and misery have
abounded.

TOUSSAINT l'oUVERTURE.

The evils consequent on slavery are not Icsscm
coming of one or two stray rays of light. If the si
conscious of his condition, and aware of the injustice ul.
he suffers, if he obtains but a faint idea of those things; and if
the master learns that a desire for liberty has arisen in the slaveys
mind, or that free men are asserting anti-slavery doctrines, then a
new element of evil is added to those which before were only too
powerful Hope on one side, and distrust and fear on the other,
create uneasiness and disturbance, which may end in commotion,
convirision, cruelty, and blood. In the agitation of the public mind
of the world, which preceded the first French Revolution, such
feelings could not be exchtded from any community on earth ;
they entered the plantations of Hayti, and they aided in pre-
paring the terrific strug^e, which, through alarm, agitation, and
slaughter, issued in the independence of the island.

The white population was made up of diverse, and in a
measure conflicting elements. There were first the colonists or
planters. Of these, some lived in the colony, othera lived in
!France ; the former, either by themselves or by means of
stewards, superintended the plantations, and consumed the pro-
duce in sensual gratifications; the latter, deriving immense
revenues directly or indirectly from their colonial estates, squan-
dered their princely fortunes in the pleafsures and vices of the
less moral society of Paris. Possessed of oj^ulence, these men
generally were agitated with ambition, and sought office and
titles as the only good things on earth left them to pursue. If
debarred from entering the ranks of the French nobility, they
could aspire to official distinction in Hayti, and in reality held
the government of the colony very much in their own hands,
partly in virtue of their property, partly in virtue of their influ-
ence with the French court.

There were other men of European origin in the island. Some?
were servants of the government, others members of the army ;
both lived estranged from the population which they combined
to oppress. Below these were lespetits blancs, (the small whites,)
men of inferior station, who conducted various kinds of business
in the towns and who, despised by white men more elevate \sv

c 2

^

TBK IXTE or

station, repaid ihcniH'lves bj conlcmning the black pupulation,

Contranpt u ahnjM laaik M«w aad bniM M*Mt Ahm

thftt are nesrest ench o&k -

From the mixtara of bladk: litod «mI wUkt Uood (MM* MMr
dMB, designated mat ^ mImt. Ok tba pvt of «»- flMM«M(
pudoQ and lust wete Mbjac* toaa' uatwJ iwklM^wt MHlr^
owned any strong inimd eontnt. jUieMl ««aMI iriHriiMB
poasess aednctive attnotioBi. If h waff mm ttwa-^M*
employed to mitignte the pnahiei of iwllBdi^ tta UHHSHil
chiefiybe imputed to the AagaOtA tmOUiim l» mM* Ihl >l^
tem held them ; and if vfaen th^ kri pfclihad fMnrvM*
thor paramonre, tbej, in piids aid jnloa^, faififlllA aK'Hriift
fanmiliating puniahmenta, tbey did bnt aenre m eflbetaal n&ii^
ters of vcU-merited retribution. Content to live in a state
of concubinage, the proprietors oould not expect the pMC^bl and
refining satisfactions of a home; and alas! only too readily took
tiie conaeqoences of their licentious course in imperious mis-
tresaes, and illegitimate offiipriog. But vice is its own svenger.
From the blood sprung from thia mixed and impure source, came
the chief cause of the troubles and ruin of the planters.

Some of the men of colour were proprietors of rich possesions ;
but neither their wealth, nor tlie virtues by which they had
acquired it, could procure for them social estimation. Their
prosperity excited the envy of the whites in the lower rlnrmni
Thoiighemancipatedbylawfromtbedomination of individuals, the
free men of colour were considered as a sort of public propraty,
ami as such, were exposed to the caprices of all the whites. Even
befbra the law they stood on unequal gtound. At the age of
thirty they were compelled to serve three years in a militia, in-
stituted agauist the Klaroon negroes; they were subject to a
special impost for the reparation of the roads; tltey were ex-
pressly sbnt out from all public offices, and from the more
honourable professiims and pursuits of private life. When tlxy
arrived at the gate of a city, they were required to ali^t from
their horse; they were disqualified for sitting at a white man's
tabl^ for frequenting the same school, for occupying the same

TOUssAnrr l'ouvhrture. 21

place at church, for haying the same name, for being interred in
the same cemetery, for receiving the succession of his property.
Thus the son was imable to take his food at his father*s board,
kneel beside his &ther in his devotions, bear his iathcr*s name,
lie in his £stther*8 tomb, succeed to his father's property, — to such
an extent were the rights and affections of nature reversed
and confounded. The disqualification pursued its victims, until
during six consecutive generations the white blood had become
purified from its original stain.

Among the men of colour existed every various shade. Some
had as fidr a complexion as ordinary Europeans ; with others,
the hue was nearly as sable as that of the pure negro blood. The
mtdcUlOf oSspiiag of a white man and a negrcss, formed the first
degree of colour. The child of a white man by a mulatto
woman, was called a quarteroon, — the second degree : from a
white £Bither and a quarteroon mother, was bom the male tierce-
roony — the third degree: the union of a white man with a
female tierceroon, produced the ineti/, — the fourth degree of
colour. The remaining varieties; if named, are barely distinguish*
able.*

Lamentable is it to think that the troubles we are about to
describe, and which might be designated the war of the skin, should
have flowed fix>m diversities so slight, variable, evanescent, and
every way so inconsiderable. It would almost seem as if human
passions only needed an excuse, and as if the slightest excuse
would serve as a pretext and a cover for their riotous excesses.

On their side, the men of colour, labouring under the sense of
their personal and social injuries, tolerated, if they did not
encourage in themselves, low and vindictive passions. Their
pride of blood was the more intense, the less they possessed of
the coveted and privileged colour. Haughty and disdainful
towards the blacks, whom they despised, they were scornful
toward the petite licmca, whom they hated, and jealous and turbu-
lent toward the planters, whom they feared. With blood white
enough to make them hopeful and aspiring, they possessed riches

* See note A at the end.

. 4

22

and social inflnence enoii^ to

aUianoe with their fiKfchon Hktj

thing which was denied ihMi .ift mmmqmmm «f Urn hm

condition of their mctimm. The mukHiiw

hot-bed of diasatisfiictioiiy «mL a ftnaMi cf

by their education of tl» a9V iteft "vUBii wwa huomdklg kk

Europe and in the United StaitH^ thqr iphp» alM ewt m ikm

watch to aeize opportonitiM to mrmngb ikmt wwim^ aad t» ^

every incident to account tx impcofing

Unable to endure the dominVin ct Am

were indignant at the bora Hbaa^ cf Ai MondHMgr of tibi

negroes; and while they ptottod i^pidBot tho !»■ « » ipmto Iho

open, bitter, and irreeoncileiUo Smi cf tite lattor. H llift

j^anten repelled the okimt of the negnwi^ Mmim, kMt of oB

oonld emancipation be obtained by or with the aid of the

mulattoea.

Such in general was the condition of sodety in Hayti, what
the first movements of the great conflict began. On that land of
servitude there were on all sides masters living in pleasure and
luxury, women skilled in the arts of seduction, children aboo*
doned by their Others or becoming their cruellest en^nies, slaves
worn down by toil, sorrow and regrets, or lacerated and mangled
by punishments. Suicide, abortion, poisoning, revolts and oon-
flagration, — all the vices and crimes which slavery engenders^
became more and more finequent. Thirty slaves fireed themadves
together from their wretchedness the same day, and the same
hour; meanwhile thirty thousand whites, freemen, lived in the
midst of twenty thousand emancipated men of colour, and five
hundred thousand slaves. Thus the advantage of numbezs and
of physical strength was on the side of the oppressed.

T0U8SA1KT L^OUVERTURE. 23

CHAPTER rV.

Family, birth and education of TouBsaint UOuverture — Hit promotions in
serritude, hia marriage ; reads Eaynal, and begins to think himself the pro-
Yidentiall7-^>pointed liberator of his oppressed brethren.

Ik the midst of these oonflicting passions and threatening
disorders, there was a character quietly forming, which was to
do more than all others, first to gain the mastery of them, and
then to conduct them to issues of a fiEivourable nature. This
superior mind gathered its strength and matured its purposes
in a class of Haytian society where least of all ordinary men
would have looked for it. Who could suppose that the liberator
of the slaves of Hayti, and the great type and pattern of ne^ro
excellence, existed and toiled in one of the despised gangs that
pined away on the plantations of the island ?

The appearance of a hero of negro blood was ardently to be
wished, as affording the best proof of negro capability. Bj
what other than a n^ro hand could it be expected that the
blow would be struck which should show to the world that
Africans could not only enjoy but gain personal and social
freedom) To the more deep-sighted, the progress of events and
the inevitable tendencies of society had darkly indicated the
coming of a negro liberator. The presentiment found expres-
sion in the words of the philosophic Abb6 Kaynal, who, in some
sort, predicted that a vindicator of negro wrongs would ere long
arise out of the bosom of the negro race. That prediction had
its fulfilment in Toussaint UOuverture. .

Toussaint was a negro. We wish emphatically to mark the
£act that he was wholly without white blood. Whatever he
was, and whatever he did, he achieved all in virtue of qualities
which in kind are common to the African race. Though of
n^;ro extraction, Toussaint, if we may believe fiimily traditions,
was not of common origin. His great grandfather is reported
to have been an Afnceai king. Whatever position his ancestors

24

lieH oeHain it is tbat ToQMDt hid in U^
than noble or royal defoent mtk gmnaoA&t.

The Arradas were a pa w at ' M tiflw cf
mental resources, and ct aa indonitelik inDf who
part of Western Africa. ln%flmAmmgm[f9SAm
hy a neighbouring tribc^ a aoa ct Urn chirf cf the AhmIm vmi
made captive. His naaia wm QmonhQmmom. 8M to tkmi»
dealers, he was conveyed to Haytip and beouM Urn ijKogmig if
the Coimt de Breda, who owned a aogur aumubeloij aoao tW
miles from Cap Fran^oia. MoralartinMfte thi&Mttit cf hiesM^
in their servitude, he fiwnd among hii idlowHittfea Mbvi;
countrymen by whom he was leeogniaedy and bam whott te
received tokens of the veqpeet 'wkoA thqr jii4g6d doe to Mi
rank. The Count de Breda was a humane man ; ae anoh hb
took care to entrust his slaves to none but humane snpeiin-
tendants. At the time the plantation of the Count de Breda
was directed by M. Bayou de Libertaa, a Frenchman of mild
character, who, contrary to the general practice, studied hia
employer*s interests without overloading his hands with immo-
derate labour.

Under him Qaou-Guinou was less unhappy than his compa-
nions in misfortune. It is not known that his master was aware
of his superior position in his native country, but facts stated by
Isaac, one of Toussaint L'Ouverture*s sons, make the supposition
not improbable. His graudfeither, he reports, enjoyed full
liberty on the states of his proprietor. He was also allowed to
employ five slaves to cultivate a portion of land which had been
assigned to him. He became a member of the Catholic Church,
the religion of the rulers of Western Hayti, and married a
woman who was not only virtuous but beautiful. The husband
and the wife died nearly at the same time, leavipg five male
children and three female. The eldest of his sons was Toussaint-
L'Ouvertura

These particulars illustrative of the superiority of Toussaint*s
&inily, are neither without interest nor without importance.
If^ strictly speaking, virtues are not transmissible, virtuous ten-
deocies, and certainly intellectual latitudes, may pass from

TOUSSAIKT L*OUVERTUBE.

parents to children. And the &ct8 now narrated may 8er\
show how it was that Toussaint was not sunk in that met
stagnation and moral depravity of which slavery is commonly
the parent.

As might be expected, the exact day and year of Tonssaint's
birth are not known. It is said to have been the 20th of May,
1743. What is of more importance is that he lived fifty years
of his life in slavery before he became prominent as the vindi-
cator of his brethren's rights. In that long space he had full
time to become acquainted with their sufferings as well as their
capabilities, and to form such deliberate resolutions as, when the
time for action came, should not be likely to fail of effect. Yet
does it seem a late period in a man's life for so great an imder-
taking ; nor could any one endowed with inferior powers have
approached to the accomplishment of the task.

Throughout his arduous and perilous career, Toussaint
L'Ouverture found great support himself, and exerted great
influence over others, in virtue of his deep and pervading sense
of religion. We might almost declare that from that source he
derived more power than from all others. The foundation of
his religious sentiments was laid in his childhood.

There lived in the neighbourhood of the Gaou-Guinou family
a black esteemed for the purity and probity of his character, and
who was not devoid of knowledge. His name was Pierre Bap-
tiste. He was acquainted with French, and had a smattering of
Latin, as well as some notions of Greometry. For his education
he was indebted to the goodness of one of those missionaries
who, in preaching the morality of a Divine religion, enlighten
and enlarge the minds of their disciples. Pierre Baptiste became
the god&ther of Toussaint. Holding that relation to the child,
he thought it his duty to communicate to him the instructions
and impressions he had received from his own religious teacher.
Continuing to speak his native African tongue, which was used
in his fftmily, Toussaint acquired from his god£Ekther some ac-
quaintance with the French, and aided by the services of the
Catholic Church, made a few steps in the knowledge of the
Latin. With a love of country which ancestral recollections

axid domestic imimaciM cfacridied, be loofc pl at ami id merting
to the tnditiuiiiil bJatoiies of Hae laail of hia sns. Fram tluae
PieTT«-B^itistv liiboitriMl to ilirect hi* ynag mind un) Itewt ta
loftier and piuvr pxainjilM cuiiMciUeil in the ivn<nb 'tf the
Chiiatian cbari:h.

Tiaa oatm- uf iuHtractinn wan of gnatcr t»1u« Umd any ildU
in the otttwkr-l procraw vUch «i« too TOmmanljr wtrutifiod
with edocatibu. The joung nepo, bovoirr, tnenui to luve
nude Bome ptogrcM id tho arta of tending, wnting, uul (iBvi^g.
A acholar, in the higher acnw of tho t«nn, be nans' Inuuiie;
and at an aiU-anoed period of U&), when hi* knowleds* wis
great and Tatioiu, he regarded ibu iafltiuction vhJoh ho iMinifl
in boyhood ai ^eI7 inEMnsUonblr. Undonhteillj, in IIib |NB^|
and noble insi>i»ti6ns of hia monU nature, Touamiitt had ll^^
htnicton &r more rich in knowledge and impnke than any
pedagt^e could have been. Yet in hia youth were the fiiimda-
tioDS laid in external learning of value to the man, th« gen«nJ^
and the legidator. It is true, that in the oompositicn of hi>
lettov and addrenea, he enjoyed the aodatance of a cnltiTBted
secretary. Neverthelen, if the form was another's, tbe Uion^it
was hia own ; nor would be allow a document to paai from hia
handa, until, by repeated peruaala and nnmeroua oorrectionB, be
bad brought the general tenour, and each particalar i ipmwiiiii.
into conformi^ with bis own tbougbta and hia own poipoaa
Nor ia there required anything more than on attentive reading
of hia extant oompoeitionH, to be awured of the aafmat mental
powers with which be was endowed.

In his mature year^ and in the days of hia great otmflic^
Tousaaint poeaeBsed an iron firsme and a stout arm. Ct^Mible ot
ahnoet any amount of labour and endurance, be was terrible in
battle, and rarely struck without deadly efiect. Yet in hia child-
hood he was weak and infirm to such a d^ree, that for a long
time his parents doubted of being able to preserve hia existences
So ddicate was bis oonstatution that be received the deacrip-
tive appellation of Fatraa-Biton, which might .be rendered ia
Faglish by LiaU LaA. But with increase of yean the str^ling
hardened and atreogtbened bis frame by the aevenrt laboan

TOussAurr l'ouvebture. 27

and the most violent exercises. At the age of twelve he sur-
passed all his equals in the plantation in bodily feats. Who so
swift in hunting? who so clever to swim across a foaming
torrent? who so skilful to back a horse in full speed, and direct
him at his will? The spirit of the man was already working
in the boy.

The duty of the young slaves was definite and uniform. They
were entrusted with the care of the flocks and herds. As a
solitary and moral occupation, a shepherd's life gives time and
opportunity for tranquil meditation. By nature Fatras-B&ton
was given to thought. His reflective and taciturn disposition
found appropriate nutriment on the rich uplands and under the
brilliant skies of the land of his birth. Accustomed to think
much more than he spoke, he acquired not only self-control,
but also the power of concentrated reflection and concise speech,
which, late in life, was one of his most marked and most ser-
viceable characteristics.

Pastoral occupations are &ivourable to an acquaintance with
vegetable products. Toussaint's fiather, like other Africans, was
familiar with the healing virtues of many plants. These the
old man explained to his son, whose knowledge expanded in the
monotonous routine of his daily task. Thus did he obtain a
rude familiarity with simples, of which he afterwards made a
practical application. In this period, when the youth was
passing into the man, and when, as with all thoughtful persons^
the mind becomes sensitively alive to things to come as weU as
to things present, Toussaint may have formed the first dim con-
ception of the misery of servitude, and the need of a liberator.
At present he lived with his fellow-sufl*erers in those narrow,
low, and foul huts where regard to decency was impossible; he
heard the twang of the driver's whip, and saw the blood stream-
ing from the negro's body; he witnessed the separation of
parents and children, and was made aware, by too many proo&,
that in slavery neither home nor religion could accomplish its
purpoeea Not impossibly, then, it was at tins time that he
first discemed the image of a distant duty rising before hia
mind's eye; and as the future liberator unquestionably lay in

X

28 TBC un or

hi« soul, the kit^iit thouglit mar at tini^ havi^ •UrtMl tct^K uul
for a moment otfufriod fak conaaaantem. Tba nwwus utJccJ,
do not exist by which wg naj etrtaisfy MPg Ui in vhi-ii hu
conceived the idea of tweoning tlw mtmget of hia peo}>l<>'s
wrongs; bnt KcttTtil intimations point to aa auij period in
hia life. Bi.< f^'wl (ijudurt in his pM»tora] imj^Kt^-niroU jiro-
cnred for hiiii an advancemeut. Bayou dfl litiertfta, coiivinotd
of his diligeiire :tud fidelity, made him biscoai-hman. This wia
an office of imj-urtauiv in the eyes of the slam; c«rtKtnlf It
was one wliicli Uruu^ht som« comfort and some mcana of a«tf-
improTement.

Though T<jii-^-4.'Liiit bccamo every day more and more awrars
that he wa« i\ hlnvo. mid experienood noanr of the erits of hm
condition, yt-t, with th'^ aid of religion, lie avoided a mnr-
moring spirit, and wisely employed hi« opportunities to make tlie
best of the position in which he had been bora, without, how-
ever, yielding to the d^rading notion that his hardshipa were
iiremedisble. Sostained by a Hense of duty which was evui
stronger than his hope of improving his condition, h« performed
his daily task in a composed if not a contented spirit, and m,
constantly, won the confidence of the overseer. The reantt
was his promotion to s place of trast He was made steward of
the implements employed in sugar-making.

Arrived at adult age, Tonsnaint began to think of marrrsge.
His race at large he saw hving in concubinage. As a religioai
man he was forbidden by his conscience to ent^ into snch •
relation. As a humane man he shrunk from the nnmoxms
evils which he knew concubinage entailed. Whom should he
chooaet Already liad he risen above the silly preferences of
form and feature. Beality he wanted, and the only real good
in a wife, ho was assured, lay in good sense, good feeling, and
good manners. These qualities he found in a widow well skilled
in husbandry, a houae-slave in the plantation. The kind-heuiad
and indoHtrions Suzan became his lawfnl wife according to
"God's holy ordinance and the law of the land." By a man
of colour Suzan had had a son, named Placide. Obeying the
generous impidses of his he«rt, Tousaint adopted the yovth.

TOUSSAINT L*0X7VEBTUBE. 29

who ever retained the most lively sense of gratitude towards his
benefiEM^r.

Toussaint was now a happy man, considering his condition
as a slave^ — ^the husband of a slave — a very happy man. His
position gave him privileges, and he had a heart to enjoy them.
Hi« leisure hours he employed in cultivating a garden, which he
was allowed to call his own. In those pleaaing engagements ho
was not without a companion. ''We went,** he said to a
traveller, ''we went to labour in the fields, my wife and I,
hand in hand. Scarcely were we conscious of the fatigues of
the day. Heaven always blessed our toil. Not only we swam
in abundance, but we had the pleasure of giving food to blacks
who needed it. On the Sabbath and on festival days we went
to church — my wife, my parents, and myself Ketuming to
our cottage, after a pleasant meal, we passed the remainder of
the day as a family, and we closed it by prayer, in which all
took part.** Thus can religion convert a desert into a garden,
and make a slave*s cabin the abode of the purest happiness on
earth.

Bent as Toussaint was on the improvement of his condition,
he yet did not employ the personal property which ensued from
his own and his wife*s thrift, in purchasing his liberty, and
elevating himself and Oojuily into the higher class of men of
colour. His reasons for remaining a slave are not recorded. He
may have felt no attractions towards a class whose superiority
was more nominal than reaL He may have resolved to remain
in a class whose emancipation he hoped some day to achieve.

The virtues of his character procured for Toussaint universal
respect. He was esteemed and loved even by the free blacks.
The great planters held him in consideration. £Us intellectual
faculties ripened imder the effects of his intercourse with free
and white men. As he grew in mind and became large of
heart, he more and more was puzzled and distressed with the
institution of slavery ; he could in no way understand how the
hue of the skin should put so great a social and personal distance
between men whom God, he saw, had made essentially the same,
and whom he knew to be useful if not indispensable to each

30 THE urm of

other. Naturally he asked hinuelf what others had thought and
said of slaver}'. He had heard paasagea recited from BaynaL*
He procured the work. And now he ioand hoir mndi tm in-
Tolved in the simple art of reading: Tonanint could read, —
Tonssaint did read. He read pawagca aitnikr to what fiAowa^
and he became the vindicator of negro fivedom: —

<' Scarcely had domestic liberty revived in Europe^ iHien it
was entom1)ed in America. The Spaniard, whom the waviea
first threw on the shores of the New Worid, believed himself
mider no obligation to its inhabitants^ for they had not his
colour, or his customs, or his religion. He saw in them only
his instruments, and he loaded them with chains. Those feeUe
men, unused to toil, soon perished from the vapours of the mines,
and other occupations almost as banefuL Then arose a demand
for slaves from Africa. Their numbers increased in proportion
as cultivation extended. The Portuguese, the Dutch, the
English, the French, the Danes — all nations, whether fr-ee or in
serfdom, ri'morselesnly sought an augmentation of fortune m
the sweat, in the blood, in the desimir of these poor wretches; —
what a frightful system !

" Liberty is every one's own property. There are three kinds
of libt^rty — natural liberty, civil liberty, political liberty; that
is to say, the liberty of the man, the liberty of the citizen, and
the liberty of the community. Natural liberty is the right
which nature has given to every one to dispose of himself ac-
cording to his own will. Civil liberty is the right which society
ought to guarantee to every citizen to do all that is not oontrazy
to the laws. Political liberty is the condition of a people which
has not alienated its own sovereignty, and which makes its own
laws, or which is in part associated in its legislation.

" The first of these* liberties is, next to reason, the distinctive
characteristic of man. ^Ve subdue and enchain the brute,
because it has no notion of justice or injustice — no idea of great-
ness and degradation. But in me liberty is the principle of my

* Ilistoire Fhilosophique ct Politique dcs EtablisMnnciw ct du Commerce det
Europ^ens dun ks I)eiix Indes, par G. T. BuTiiai. Genera, 1780.

TOUSSAINT l'OUVERTURE. 31

vioes and my virtues. It is only the free man who can say,
7 taill, or, / vnll not; and who can, consequently, be worthy of
praise and blame. Without liberty, or the possession of one*s
own body and the enjoyment of one^sown mind, there is neither
husband, father, relation nor friend ; we have no country, no
fellow-K^itizen, no God. The slave, an instrument in the hands
of wickedness, is below the dog which the Spaniard let loose
against the American; for conscience, which the dog lacks,
remains with the man. He who basely resigns his liberty, de-
votes himself to remorse and to the greatest misery that a
sensible and thinking creature can experience. If there is no
power under heaven that can change my organisation, and con-
vert me into a brute, there is none that can dispose of my liberty.
€k>d is my Father and not my master. I am his child, not his
slave. How, then, could I accord to political power that which
I refuse to Divine omnipotence?

" These are immovable and eternal truths — ^the foundation of
all morality, the basis of all government ; will they be contested?
yes ! and it will be a barbarous and sordid avarice which will
commit the audacious homicide. Cast your eye on that ship-
owner, who, bent over his desk, regulates, with pen in hand,
the number of crimes which he may commit on the coast of
Guinea ; who, at his leisure, examines what number of muskets
will be needed to obtain a negro, what number of chains to hold
him bound on board his vessel, what number of whips to make
him work : who coolly calculates how much will cost him each
drop of the blood with which his slave will water his plantation ;
who discusses whether the negress will give more or less to his
estate by the labours of her feeble hands than by the dangers of
child-birth. You shudder? — ah! if there existed a religion
which tolerated, which authorized, if only by its silence, horrors
like these ; if, occupied with idle or contentious questions, it did
not ceaselessly thunder against the authors or the instruments of
this tyranny ; if it made it a crime for the slave to break his
chains ; if it suffered in its bosom the unjust judge who con-
demned the fiigitive to death ; — if this religion existed, would it
not be necessary that its altars should be broken down and left

S9 THE UFB OP

in ruinsi Who are you who wQl «kn to JMliQr «

my iudepeDdenoe, <mt Hm |

What! be irho maksi Bw a rivm Bot gaOtyt Ha«dHiBn«f

hisrightot What, then,M«4kM«i|^l Wfcohwgtwth—
A character Baraed ataa^t to |Mt ^ rigfcti to rikooBt X hoU
from nature the ri^ of ntMiABaB; As hH not gtrcs. job tlw
right to attack me. If yonflmkyoarMif —thcriMd toafipw
me becaoue you are aUuugw and man ikrt tiMii I, A) SO* VOM-
plain when, after my haitd hacwnw TJgoKiMh ft AaD flM*
a dagger in your heart; do not inrirhhi vImo job ^aU ftel in
yoor veins that death irhidt Z diaU hava —"g^ vitli Jtmt
food. Now I am the a>BMtg» and tkammalai^ tt ii jmttum
to be the victim; expiate tlw Lii»8 cf baring be«i«ag— on.

" 'But,' it is H^d, 'slaTtry has been genenDyeotaUidMd in all
countries and in &11 ftgoi.' True; — bat what consequence is it
what other nations have done in other agest On^t the i^peal
to be to customs or to conscience! Is it interest, blindnese, bar-
barity, or reason and justice, that we ought to listen tot If the
universality of a practice proved its innocence, the apcdogy of
usurpations, conqueflbi, and oppreemon of all kinds would im^t-
ably be completed.

" ' But the ancients,' you say, * thought themselves mas-
ters of the Uvea of their slaves; we, having become more
humane, dispose only of their liberty and their labour.' It
is true, the progress of knowledge has on this important point
given Ught to modem legislaton. All codes, without an excep-
tion, have taken precautions to guard the life of even the man
who pines away in servitude. They have put his existence under
the prot«ction of the magistrate. But has this, the most sacred
of social institutions, ever had its due forcet Is not America
peopled with colonists who, usurping sovereign rights, inflict
death on the unfortunate victims of their avarice ? But sappoae
the law observed, would the slave materially gisa thereby t
Does not the master who employs my strength, dispose of my
liie, which depends on the voluntary and moderate use of my
fiundtiee 1 What is existence for him who has no propraty in ikt
I cannot kill my slave, but I may cause his blood to flow drop by
tiretp under the driver's whip^ I may overwhelm him with

TOUSSAIKT l'OUYEBTURE. 33

laboursy priyationsy and pains; I may on all aides attack and
slowly undermine the resources of his life ; I may stifle by slow
punishments the wretched embryo that a negreas bears in her
womb. It might be said that the laws protect the slave against
a speedy death, only to leave to my cruelty the right of killing
him in the course of time. In truth, the right of slavery is the
right to commit crimes of all kinds.

" * But the negroes are a sort of men bom for slavery : they are
of narrow minds, mischievous, deceitful; they themselves own
the superiority of our intelligence, and almost recognise the
justice of our dominion.'

" The negroes are of narrow minds because slavery destroys all
the springs of the soul. They are mischievous, — not mischievous
enough with you. They are deceitful, because they owe no
fidelity to their tyrants. They acknowledge the superiority of
our intelligence, because we have perpetuated their ignorance ;
the justice of our dominion, because we have abused their weak-
ness. In the impossibility of maintaining our superiority by
force, a criminal policy has had recourse to guile. You have
almost got so £eu* as to persuade them that they are an excep-
tional race, bom for subjection and dependence, for labour and
punishment. You have neglected nothing to degrade those un-
happy creatures, and you reproach them with being vile.

" * But these negroes were bom slaves.* — ^Whom will you cause
to believe that a man can be the property of a sovereign? a son
the property of a Either? a woman the property of a husband?
a domestic the property of a master? a negro the property of a
planter? The contempt with which you treat them fisiUs back
upon yourself. You have no ground of self-respect but what is
common to you with them. A common Father, an immortal
soul, a future life — ^here is your true glory, and here is their glory.

'^ ' But the government itself authorizes the sale of slaves.*—*
Whence this right? However absolute the magistrate, is he the
proprietor of the subjects of his empire? ELas he any other au-
thority than such as he derives from the citizens? And can
any nation give the privilege of disposing of its liberty?

*' ' But the slave sold himself of his own accord.' — ^If he belong

tohinud^hehMtlien^todfafMMfliMdC Tf ti k ■■!■ rf
liiiIife,wbysIiMiUlMaflthaaiHl«(irUittirtrt MnlHaok
the right to kU huDMl^ bannN ha kM aoi Ika ri^toMHi* 4*
whatever am nnjiut, -violMAt Ml difwnd MMIb nnfOnil
from hiBL He belongs to hk infe HMtav-^lo^ Ijy lAo^ ha
h— never been njMUiriiMlfd Hft irito Hib hiHMlf tatan nto
aa iUosoiy agreranent vitli Ua panfeaMv; fie tiMHh^ ha ism
aUbiaralne, AtthemoMBt iriwa Iw tMWMs ths pisi^ both
he and the maasy beoone the tsuftj of As b^v^ Sha tm^
act of idling yowael^ vitiaUa tfaa luipia Ha lAo sdk iai^
self is a fool, not a slave.

"'Bat tiiaaedavea ««• (sk« itt var, aad hak fir «• -wndd
have been lUnghtered.'

" ' But Sot yoo would tbers have beeo i^btiagl Aia not tha
diaaeiuiona t^ thoae tribes yonr weii:1 Did yon not cany to
them mnrderoua annit Did yon not give them the blind desire
to employ themi And why did you not allow the oonqueror to
nae hia victny as he pleaaedt Why becmw hk aooompliwt

" ' Dot they were criminals condemned to death or slaveiy in
their own oonntiy.' Are yon, then, Africa'a execntitmera. Be-
sides, who were their jndgeat Do yon not know that under a
despotism there is only one criminal — the deq>ot himaelft The
sobject of a deapot, like the slave, is in a condition contiaiy to
natur& Whatever contributes to retain man in that condition,
ia a crime against his p«Tao&. Eveiy hand which binds man to
the tyranny of a single person, is the hand c^ an enemy. Do you
wish to know who sre the anthon and accompUees of this violence 1
Those who are around it. The tyrant csn do nothing by him«»lf;

" ' But they are happier in Am<gica than th^ were in Africa.*
Why, then, do they oontinnally sigh for thor native landt Why
do they resume their liberty as socm ss they can! Why do th^
prefer deserts and the society of wild beasts, to a state which ap-
peals to yon so agreeable? Why does their despair induce thent
to put an aid to themselves, or to poison youl Why do their
wives so often procure abortion! When you tell us of the hap-
piness of your daves, you lie to yourselves, and you deceive n&
It is the height of eitravsganee to attempt to t
Aar&arous on set into an act of humanity.

TOussAnrr l'ouvjsutuke. 35

^ * But in Europe as in America the people are 8laye& The sole
advantage which we have over the negroes is the power of
breaking one chain to £Edl under another.' Too true. Most
nations are oppressed. Scarcely is there a country in which a
man can flatter himself with being master of his person, of
disposing of his inheritance at his will, of enjoying peaceably
the fruits of his industry. But as morality and wise polity
shall make progress, men will recover their rights. Why, in
waiting for the happy day, should there be miserable races to
whom you refuse even the consoling and honourable name of
/ree men; from whom you snatch even the hope of obtaining it,
notwithstanding the changeableness of events t No, whatever
may be said, the condition of those imfortunate beings is not the
same as ours.

" The last argument employed to justify slavery says, that
' slavery is the only way of conducting the n^roes to eternal
blessedness by means of Christian baptism.'

'' Mild and loving Jesus ! could you have foreseen that your
benign maxims would be employed to justify so much horror t
If the Christian religion thus authorized avarice in governments,
it would be necessary for ever to proscribe its dogmas. In order
to overturn the edifice of slavery, to what tribunal shall we carry
the cause of humanity? Kings, refuse the seal of your authority
to the infiEunous traffic which converts men into beasts. But what
do I say? Let us look somewhere else. If self-interest alone
prevails with nations and their masters, there is another power.
Nature speaks in louder tones than philosophy or self-interest.
Already are there established two colonies of fugitive negroes,
whom treaties and power protect from assault. Those light-
nings announce the thunder. A courageous chief only is
wanted. Where is he? that great man whom Nature owes to
her vexed, oppressed, and tormented children. Where is he? He
will appear, doubt it not; he will come forth, and raise the
sacred standard of liberty. This venerable signal will gather
around him the companions of his misfortune. More impetuous
thxm the torrents, they will everywhere leave the indelible traces
of their just resentment. Everywhere people will bkia \»\i<^x^sa&i^

d2

36

of the hero, who shall haTe g e wtoHMiwl Am tjf^cf flMhUMBi
race; everywhere will ihqr nam tnftnmbkih lionoiir."*

These eloquent words miMi hftre ptodnead a te)p and p«p*.
Tading impression on a mind lo m mo&f HU ib aa thalflf TnnwalHt,
Here reason and feeling WBre haimoniaed into ona anrftd apfMaJL
Here philosophy joined willi oommon asua and ooouiMn jnalte^
to proclaim n^ro wzod^b^ and to call ibr a nqptd.Ti nd iflat oR .
That call Toussaint heard; lie lieatd ita Toioe in Ui Ininoai
soul ; he heard it there finfe in low r evw b e m fciona;: he heaid it
there at last in sounds of tlinnder. Dwelling on tiioeepiino^lt^
pondering those worda, oomoltingliiaown heul^andtiflaeti^gon
his own condition, he came in time to ftd that k§ waa Ae man
here designated, and that in tbedealgnatioatliereiraaaedlftQin
Providence which he dared not disr^ard. Bat the time was not
yet. Conviction must wait on opportunity. Besides, Toussaint
was a religious man. Religion was his highest law. In one
sense religion was his only law, for it comprehended every other
form of law. What said religion? Bead again, noble black;
read with your own eyes ; read the Bible for yourself and by
yourself. Yes, if you will, consult the priest ; but in retiring
^m the confessional, let Baynal's words echo in your ears, and
fear lest you betray Christianity, even while striving to learn
and obey its law.

CHAPTER V.

TonaMuni*! pmamcd scriptunl studici — The Mosaic code — Chriftian pvinciplec
adTerse to alavcry — Christ, Paul, the Epistle to Philemon.

It is not to be supposed that Toussaint read the sacred Scrip-
tiures with a critical eye. Unversed in the science of Biblical
interpretation, he could do no more than receive such impressions
es certain great outstanding facts were fitted to produce. Nor,

• Vol. iii. p. 198—206. Some ports which breathe too much the spirit of
JvrcDge Jutme bean softened or omitted in the translation.

TOUSSAIKT l'OUVERTURE. 37

however valuable for its own purposes a scientific acquaintance
with the Divine Word may be, did he need more than he and
every other sensible jxiraon could gather from the general tenour
and prominent aims of the Bible. There might even be jiar-
ticular passages which he was unable to comprehend in the
harmony of scriptural truth, and a religious disputant might have
found no great difficulty in presenting to his mind considerations
wearing on the surface an appearance adverse to his general con-
victions. But those convictions would rest on such broad and
deep foundations, and occupy in his mind so large a space ; they
would in themselves be so fiill, and so vivid, and so far-reaching,
that as he reflected on them more and more, and they thus
became an integral element in his mind, he could in no way
doubt that slavery was disallowed by the Bible, and was adverse
to the genius, the aims, and the operation of the GospeL

Slavery, it is true, he found in the Scriptures. But how?
Not as an institution of Divine origin. Moses found slavery in.
common practice; and unable to abolish it, did his best to miti-
gate its evils. And the S3rstem of servitude which he left
rather than sanctioned, involved none of those atrocities which
make American slavery so offensive and so banefuL The aim
and tendency of slavery among the Hebrews, was the improve-
ment of such as were under the yoke. Being of foreign extrac-
tion for the most part, slaves were permitted to enter * the com-
monwealth of Israel,' by undergoing the distinctive rite of
circumcision. (Gen. xvii. 23, 27.) Thus raised from a slave into
a Hebrew, the slave had before him a brightening future, and
could share in the privilege, and partake of the ailvantageSy
of worshipping the Creator of heaven and earth. Like England,
Canaan was a land of refuge for slaves. The moment they
touched that sacred soil they were free. Fugitive slaves could
in no wise be delivered up to their masters, nor might they be
reduced into bondage by Israelites. They chose their own resi-
dence, and followed their own pursuits. (Deut. xxiiL 10, et seq,)
Expressly was it forbidden that a Hebrew should sell himself to
a fellow-Hebrew as a bond-servant, and if one Hebrew hired
himself to another Hebrew, he with his children obtained

3S tHK un or

liisliber^imocHi<]itioaaUy»t the vadotaix jexn »t Uto faxihett,
or «t the jubilee next ensaiiig after his Bervice began. (Lov. xxr.
39, 40.) And he might be redeemed at na eArtier day by cither
himself or a relative. {I>ev. ixv. 48, 49,) Even thievea. who,
vhen detected, were, in conwquenoe of iiot being able to make
1 scr^i"-"'" '" ^sraelitea, benefited by the
was not penuitted to send
ga blood, 90 was it unlaw-
er. (Exod. «i. 7—11.)
tt, when 'We take into account
t e in the ancient Eastern

rd«r3 of Palestine, was a
n-uounl of Palertine afforded
lite traffic. StreaniB of wealth

I, put 1
laws rqiarcling emaodiialioii.
hack or ensljivi- a fiigitive ilar>,
M to sell a Hebrew to a fore

Theae &ct8 are the more
the getkeral practice of the »
irorld. B^yj-t, which lay on
great slaTu mart. The In
peculiar &<:iliti«9t for the db
would have ponied into tite land, bad Israel encouraged the
tnde. The temptaticra was great. Bnt religion was too strong
for cupidity, and the people of God disallowed the commerce in
buman flesh generally, and modified their preacriptive usagea so
as to abate the evils and diminish the obeervance of slavery in
their own tenitoriea.

Among the mitigations of their lot guaranteed to sUvee by
Moeea were the following: — 1. Entire rest from labour every
seventh day. {Exod. XX. 10.) Kohle recognition of man's religioDs
nature and religkms wants! 2. Immunity from deadly or cruel
punishments. If a servant loet an eye or a tooth from a blow
given by hia master, he was thereon rendered free ; if a slave
died under a master's hand, the master underwent due retribu-
tion. (Exod. xxi. 20, et teq.) When advocatea of slavery as it is
in the TTnited States cite in argument the Mosaic institutions,
they wonld do well to give special attention to these merdfol
regulations. 3. Slaves were to join the Hebrew &mily in
their rejoicings on occasions of religious festivity. (DeuL xiL IX
18; xvi 11, 14.) 4. Slaves recovered their freedom in the year
of jubilee, and the bondman was not to go away with empty
hands : " Thou shalt furnish him liberally ont of thy flock, and
out of thy flour, and out of thy winepreea." The reason assigned
" Than ahalt remonber that tl

TOT7S8AINT l'oUTKBTURS. 39

the land of Egypt, and the Lord th j God redeemed thee. (Deat.
XT« 1 3 e< §eq,; compare Exod. xxL 2 — 4.) 0. A sefvant mig^t not
wish to leave his master's houae; having been treated well, he
had formed attachments and become one of the fiunily: *^I£,
therefore, he shall plainly say, I love my master, I will not go out
free, then shall his master bring him nnto the judges;" and his
will bemg ascertained by a judicial investigation, he was permitted
to remain in his own freely-chosen condition of domestic send*
tude. (Ezod. xxL 5, 6.) 6. A Hebrew bondsman was allowed to
acquire and hold property, with which he might purchase his
freedom. (Lev. xxv. 49.) 7. If a master had no sons, a Hebrew
slave might aspire to his daughter's hand. (1 Ghron. iL, 35.)*

On reviewing the features of the Mosaic slave code, could Tous-
saint £>r a moment identify its provisions with the Code Ncwr
of Louis XIY., or with the system practised in Haytit The con*
trast was too evident. When did Toussaint see a slave, in some
hi^y year of jubilee, going forth from bondage with a liberal
supply from his master's flock, his master's bam, and his master's
wine-cellar? Did he himself ever even think of asking for the
hand, not of his mastei^s daughter, but of his master's steward's
daughter? Did he ever witness even a slave-driver punished
for cruelly treating a slave? Could he point to a neighbouring
land whose very air gave a slave his freedom the moment he
breathed it? Did Spanish Hayti refrise to deliver up frigitive
slaves to French Ha3rti, and did French Hajrti refrise to deliver
up fugitive slaves to Spanish Hayti?

But, it is objected, Christianity finding slavery in existence, did
not proscribe it. Christianity did more than proscribe slavery— it
undomined slavery ; and wherever it prevailed in deed rather
than profession, it brought slavery to the ground. The objection,
if rightly stated, is this, and nothing more— namely, that the
original promulgators of the Gospel did not commence an active
and open crusade against slavery. The reason is, that they had
an object before them higher than any immediate good. They
waged no war against Boman despotism. They left, even tm.

« Confalt, under the word hondaga, «The FeOftt^s Dietioiiaiy of tbe BiUe,'
2 Tdi. Sto, liiird Edilioii, bj tlie author.

I*

their native bills, the degMunte iyniljr cfHimoA m iimliiiiii'liiiil
posseasion of power. Thdlr nuHioii wm boI to nmoSfitk^
Btitntions, but to reform miefy. Tliflir woA wm boI to jMf
a premature and perishing lMiir?ieil» bat to warn the Md*>«f
quickening principles and imporiiliiUo qrmpatliiaiL Dkngls^
ing thrones, principalitiai^ and dnmfnifWi% thtf irant ftitk t^
preach the word of a new indifidnil fife^ wA mmn thHk Him
acorn, in due time, would baoone an oak. Kor wm ^Uit
efforts nugatory. Within time oentiniea afamij was ibntiiyll
in the Roman empire. And at tlua ttonent— niekiBtiio ollt'
tensive and ever-living poww of Urn Goqpfll— daroEj, fliumglnit
the world, is tottering to its ML

But chiefly, when he mediated on tbe words and Urn oljoelB
of the Saviour of the world, did Tobassint fed how inocnnpstiUe
slavery was with Christianity. Had he not, in those impressive
words, ''where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty,**
(2 Cor. iii. 1 7,) found the enunciation of a great Christian princi-
ple, and the announcement of a great Christian power, which must
of necessity, as it was designed, break asunder every outward
bond and emancipate every slave on earth 1 And in what terms
did the Lord himself announce his miasiont Toussaint, in
thought, made one of his auditors in that small synagogue at
Nazareth, where the Redeemer of men astounded his townsfolk
and relatives by declaring, in words of the widest import,
as he ushered in the grand spiritual jubilee, and so gave to all
the subjects of His new kingdom liberty of body in giving
them liberty of soul : ** The Spirit of Jehovah is upon me, be-
cause He hath anointed me to preach glad tidings to the poor.
He hath sent me to declare ddiverance to the captives, and recovery
of sight to the blind ; to set at liberty those that are oppressed ;
to proclaim the acceptable year of Jehovah.** '' To-day is this
Scripture fulfilled in your ears.** (Luke iv. 18, e< acq.) Unmis-
takable must Toussaint have found the import of these words.
The great year of jubilee had come — ^the skve was hee — slaveiy
was abolished; not only that corporeal slavery which Moses
tolerated, but the heavier slavery ; which man, in conse-
^nence of sin, endured; — slavery of soul and, couseqaentfy',
alavery of body wss abrogated sxid diM^xo^ed. The blow

ToussADn* l'ouyerture. 41

was struck, and the dark edifice would inevitably falL How
could Toussaint hear from the lips of Christ himself that
he came expressly to deliver the captive, and set the oppressed
at liberty, without feeling that if he yielded to the grand thought
which already swelled his breast, and became the liberator of
the n^o race, he would thereby be not a follower only, but a
fellow- worker with " the Lord from heaven 1" How could he
learn, on infallible authority, that God, who had " made of one
blood all nations," (Acts xvii. 26,) had, in his Son, opened and
proclaimed the year of universal jubilee, and therefore, inau-
gurated the period of universal emancipation ; and yet, with his
convictions and sympathies, fail to conclude that on him too had,
by the hand of Providence, been devolved a share in the truly
religious task of liberating and upraising a cruelly oppressed and
deeply injured tribe?

If from the Master, Toussaint turned to the greatest of
his disciples, and asked Paul what, on this point, were the
principles of the religion of Jesus, he learned that while the
apostle urged no one in actual circumstances to hurry from
the condition in which he was bom, and judged that it was
better to endure wrong than prematurely, and to the peril of the
cause of Christ, disturb existing relations, and thereby convulse
society already fearfully agitated, yet he recognised as equally
members of the Christian church, and accessible to the same
rights, immunities, and privileges, the bond and the fr-ee;
(2 Cor. xii. 13;) and viewing the whole of human kind as divided
into these two classes — in their high relations to God and Christ
and each other, declared that all outward distinctions had
ceased, and must practically, in time, come to an end, for that
there was no longer bond or free, any more than Barbarian or
Scythian, but all were ''one in Christ Jesus.** (Gal. iiL 28;
CoL iiL 11.) What! could the glowing terms in which the
apostle— returning again and again to the subject, as if his soul
was on fire with the thought — sets forth not only the equality
of all the tribes of earth, but their essential unity; — could those
terms be heard by the Roman slave in the primitive church, and
not make his bosom swell and glow with the idea that he too
was a man, that he too was free, that bfi \^oo N7«a cooi^T^^essi^si^

4t THE iin ow

in "the ndemptioa iiMA ma tm CWrt Tim if AmA HhM

JdMonoe deep mhi»b«^tt< infill ttVm liiTiH— Ji

ma merely u a&ir of 4bMi lbs, vk» kaav Ifert ttHf m«
men, cNUHit long be hdd m iMwb^ ObsMiBM «UHnB if

God irill not be davt^t to w^lGsh and bratal mm. Thoap wIm
fed that they h«Te V.e«n jiuivbased bv Christ, the Sen of God,
may indeed "bide thi'tr tiim*," but cannot be pcrmanRnllj bdd
in the d^nding »nd p> illntiiig oonditioQ of ■btTerr. Tos. wisely
lor ytrar own bkd |Hiqx>9e5, do ye, sUve masters, keep the light
of divine truth trotn yonr unhappy victinu. or permit than to
aee it only throng thv diAcoIonrtng mediuni of a nunistmti<m
which stoops to nmke a gun of godliness; wisely for toot own
pnrposes do ye ke^ the Bible a sntled book on your plaotationo,
or set hirdings to pt-rvert it« gloii.ina and emsnciiiating tiding;
for otherwise yonr dominion would be shorter than in God's
providence it is intotded to be. "Bat the day cometb; "the Lord
is at hand."

Ton point me to the condnrt of Fanll Ton tell me
tliat Paul sent back Oneeimtis into slaveiyt ^oa ask me if
Tonaaaint in his Bcriptnral studies comprised the EpdaUe to
I^emon! and yon trimnphantly intimate that, by that ex-
ample, his emancipating ardour ought to have been cbedked. I
nply that the Epistle to Philemon is a plea apinst skvety;
tLat if Tonnaint comprehended what he read, he would thereby
be grcfttly confirmed and built np in hb rigbteous and moat
ChriBtian porpoeea; and that if your own eyea were only five
from the scales of prejudice and mistaken self-intanst, they too
would discern, in that lett«r, principles which are titteriy inooo-
Bstent with the contisnanoe of the abominaUe vyvtem of wbich
yon are the supporters.

The Epistle of Paul to Philemon is the most pr^nant of ctun-
positions. Never was so mack meaning compresaed into so few
worda. And then, how wei^ty the topics. How much ot
doctrine ia there in thoee few veraes; how much of history. And
the doctrine and the hiatoty ore so preeented, that white yoa
cannot deny the history, yoa are encouraged to reoav« tke
doctrine. The letter is a aeries of implicattona ; — implied ttdUi,

TOUSSAINT l'OUTEBTUBE. 43

implied principles^ implied duties, implied changes and triumpliSy
set forth in all the imconscious simplicity of a private and con-
fidential communication, so as to conciliate attention and win
bel]e£ I hold this short Epistle to be of itself an antidote to
soeptidam and a confutation of slayery.

The letter, I have intimated, is a series of implications. It is
also a group of pictures. First mark that fugitive slave hurrying
from Colossee, in Asia Minor, down to the shores of the Mediter-
ranean sea. What a fell expression of countenance he has, as of
one who, if well-endowed by nature, had been made bad by ser-
vitude, and who had had long and varied practice in misdoing.
How stealthy are his steps, how clownish, yet how timid his
manner! Ever and anon he casts back his anxious eyes as if he
feared pursuit, and from the &ce of every one whom he en-
counters, he turns away, as if he dreaded to be recognised. At
last, reaching the sea, he hastens on ship-board, and concealing
himself in the most secret part of the vessel, effects his escape,
and is carried to Rome, — that city which the greatest of
ancient historians has described as the common sink of the
world.*

Let a few years pass, and you may see the same person on his
way back from Home to Asia Minor and Colossie. No longer
do his movements betray fear. No longer does his countenance
betoken ferocity. His steps are equable and firm. His manner
disdoees self-respect. He is returning with as much composure
as determination, and on his way he receives and returns greet-
ings with gentleness and confidence, as if he feared none, and
wished to be friendly with alL And now that he is again on
ship-board, mark how pure and refined is the expression of his
fisu^e, how manly his whole bearing, as, no longer shunning the
light, he walks up and down the deck, and has a good word for
every ona Is this indeed the same person? It is Onesimus, the
runaway slave. And he is going back to his master of his
own accord. Yes, hundreds of miles does he travel on foot and

* Tic. Ann. xt. 44. Quo cuncta undique atroda aut pudenda oonflaunt, celo-

44

by sea in order to vetam into bondage* Obicrvc^ Iw It
companied, he is nnmanicicd; not bj ioftoa, bat bj lus own ficM
will, is he led back to bis pcoprietor-fluknioii in Ooloi— ■

Whence these changes! In order to imdentaiid them, yon auMt
form to yourselves another piotrnm. Tbora^ in a email bonee in
that narrow and sednded etreet of Bomc^ joa behold an aged
man, bound with a chain to that pietorian sddiery under iriioae
custody he is night and daj. That i^^ man is Banl tbe apoetle
of Jesus Christ; there, in that cormpt and gniUy dty, to anewei^
at the peril of his life, for dacing to oftr tbe Gospel to bis
countiymen in Jerusalem. Mean in pensony and mde in wpeidA,
he has nevertheless preadied Gbrist cmoified with great snufieeB
to the citizens. But be is oppresnd witb infimitMS. His
nimierous sufferings, his long joumeya, bis ceaaelesB labonrs, have
reduced him to that state of bodily endurance. And glad and
thankful is he for humane attentions and ministries of Christian
love. In that sacred work Onesimus has been engaged. Found by
Paul, — and found, it may be, when the fugitive was in sickness, —
he was taken to the apostle's own abode, and there cared for in
mind as well as in body, imtil he came to possess both the ability
and the will to make a return in kind to his apostolic benefiictor.
The reciprocation of kind offices begat mutual attachment.
Learning to love the preacher, Onesimus learned also to love and to
espouse his doctrine. Now, therefore, is he a Christian, — a mem-
ber of Christ*s spiritual body, and a sharer with Paul himself in
**the liberty wherewith Christ hath made him free." (GaL v. 1.)
So intimate do the two friends become, that the elder regards the
younger as his '^ son," while the younger, loving and respecting
the elder as his father, is as ready to obey as he is glad to serve
him. But mark, as they sit there in that humble apartment,
earnestly conversing with each other, mark the cloud that has
£dlen on the coimtenance of Onesimus. It is heavy and deep.
In a moment it has disappeared. ** You must return to Philemon."
These are the words which darkened that face. ** Return into
chains t horrible." Shortly afterwards Onesimus is on the road.

They are great changes with which we have to do in this
,^froup of events. At the time of the publication of the Gospel^

TOUSSAIKT l'OUVERTURE. 45

slaveiy was universal. Pliilemon, a prominent and zealous
member of the church at Colosste, held a slave by name Onesimus.
Having served his master badly, Onesimus ran away. But now
of his own free will he is going back into bondage. This is the first
great changa Ah, how many a footstep must he set between
Home and Colossse, and for every footstep there was an act of
the will. Every act of the will said, "return to servitude.'*
Yet the will never faltered, and the slave's own feet brought him
into the house of Philemon. But what reception might he meet
with there? There would be the jeers and jibes of fellow slaves
to endure. There were past neglectH and misdeeds to atone for.
There was an injured and an offended master to encounter.
Nevertheless, of his own accord, Onesimus returns. At the first
appearance, this would appear the height of folly. Masters held
the power of life and death over their slaves. Onesimus had
everything to fear. On what does he rely? Has he no safe-
guard? He has a* few lines written by a poor decrepid man
hundreds of miles distant. Is that all? That is all. But it is
enough; Onesimus knows that it is enough. What a wonder-
working power is writing ! We have read of charms, magical
forms, and incantations ; we have read of them, and of the powers
they were said to possess. But even their &ncied efficacy has in
it nothing surpassing the efficacy of these few Greek characters
written by Paul and borne by Onesimus. Guards, prisons, and
chains — ^they are of less potency than words. Onesimus eluded
the former, and goes back under the influence of the latter.
These words, a token of the apostle's will, conduct Onesimus
back and protect him from the natural consequences of Phile-
mon's wratL Such is the sovereignty of thought. A morsel —
80 to say — of Paul's mind, acts with supreme control beyond
lands and seas.

But the return indicates another great change. If, now,
Onesimus sets his face towards the east, it is because his heart is
changed. In a change of the affections, is found the cause of
that change of his will. This is, indeed, a great change— a fiigi-
tive slave willingly goes back to bondage. There is no compul-
sion : there can be no compulsion. No spies, no catchi^olea qsa

46

»t work. No Iftw
mad iwfaae to the Cd nMiwn wy <rf tiwit J w w U wl W^wJt
ibehar in tbe metnqxdii of ths i "
preTkiled throoghont ■

height of wickediwH wbioh ooaqpdb tb* tmmttm to 1m a p
officer to the ahiTeholdar. Im wMj, MkI ftAtf^ ia pra^aEM^
might OneaiinnB h^ve rmmaaA in BoMfc Bat aal « puwt
•tronger than tbe Imperial powv itnl( ladt k« haik. 0*1h
mart, go he will, Mid go he dook Wl^t hi ■ml jiil HiiiJiH
which he left wnmg; he imi it^fmnAlim mmI«, heOMtMi*
him compenaotion. Aiidthoa|hiittfaBMMi««fii|^OaMnH>
belonged to hinu^ and not to FUleBsn, ji^ M Urn htw wtaa^
uiaed the institntion of d&vwjr, and cmj CbratM ■V^* to
ftToid even the ^peannoe of evil, to votdd OncHmoB ntan to
Philemon in order to adjust their relations one with auothes'.
Those relatkias had aaaomed ft new aspect. The two persona who
had known each other only as master and alav^ were now m
Christ " brothers beloved." And as Christians, they reoognised
A higher law than the woiid's— « law which rendered slavery
impoeaible, but which also commanded each to do unto others aa
be woold be done unta Belying on the Ibrmer, and acting aa
the latter, hoping to be set at liberty, yet believing it big duty to
give Philemon an opportunity of declaring his emancipation,
Oneaimus has set his feet within his maeter'a borne. Thi^ I
repeat, is indeed a great change. The fugitive is the letomii^;
Hlave, because the slave has become a Christian. And tba
ChrisUan so highly values moral obligations, that in the bhon^it
of bis datiea he almost foi^ets his rights, and at leaatisasn^ard-
fol of the 1<^ claims of bis master, as be is of his own natural
and indefeasible privileges.

OnedmuB, I have intimated, regarded the legal claims of Phile-
mon. There is no evidence that either Oneaimus or Paitl reot^-
niaed any other claim. It was the general practice of the £rat
disciples to pay obedience to the then existing civil laws.

This respect for existing institatkHis, however, was merely
outward and temporary. Having ita origin in prudential conat-
deration, it cams to an end as soon aa duty could safely n

TOU88AIMT l.*OUVSBTURE. 47

expediency. Meanwhile, it implied at the bottom a diflallowal
of existing evil% and a determination to take the most effectual
oooTBe for their abatement and removal Tolerating slavery
becaose it wished to take safe steps for rendering slavery impoa-
sible, it in reality hated the abomination of property in man's
body and sool, and was ever silently at work to convert the slave
into a man, and so to break the yoke and set the captive free.
That this was the view under which Paul acted, is obvious from
the language he employs in his Letter to Philemon : —

In that Letter there is first the distinct assertion of a right.
It is the ri^t of Paul to claim the freedom of Onesimus. On
what was that right founded? On Christ. Paul, Philemon, and
Onesimus were in Christ partners, they were sharers of a common
Go^pely such is the meaning of the term ^' partner,** employed by
Paul in the 17th verse. As having, in common, 'Hhe redemp-
tion that was in Christ Jesus," they were alike free. Onesimus^
as a Christian, was as fr«e as Philemon, and both were equally
frree with Paul. Onesimus, in consequence, had a claim to be
pronounced free. And that claim Paul was at full liberty to
urge on Philemon.

.1 make this statement on the authority of the apostle's own
words, as they are found in the 8th verse of the epistle ; 'though
I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is
convenient." This, the English version, very imperfectly repre-
sents the originaL *^ Convenient," is a most inadequate exprea-
sion, at least in the sense in which it is now understood. Con-
venient with us signifies that which is easy and pleasant, rather
than that which is obligatory; that which is suitable to the occa-
sion, rather than conformable to the everlasting laws of right.
The Greek word used by Paul, however, denotes that which is
fit and proper, and in the third chapter of the Epistle to the
Colossians, v. 18, it is rendered by the English term^. << Wives,
submit yourselves unto your own husbands, aa it is fit in the
Lord." That, in this injunction, the apostle spoke of duty, of
Christian obligation, and not of any temporary expediency, is
clear from the corresponding passage in his Letter to the £^he-
sians, t. 22, where he says, '< Wives, submit yourselves unto ^^^ws

48 THG uvK or

own haahajiilg an unto the Lord" It i-, tlirai, wi oLIigati'm, »
GhriBtiao obli^.iition. whii-h Paul haJ the right to urge on Phile-
mon. And this riglit he intimates he might freely urge It wm
a manifest ri^'lit; a right about which there c^iuld be do dis[iut«
between ChristianB; a right which the apostle traa jiLitified in
nrgisg boldly, nay, Teiy boldly; for thu^, wlieii exactly translnted,
do hia words run — "having much boldness in Christ, to enjoin
on thee that which isjiroper." Observe the term "enjoin," — it
is duties that are enjoined, not expediency. The act asdescribed
in the Greek ((Viraoiriii-) is thcact of a superior — of a general who
gives a combioud, of a governor who issues a decree. The im-
perial power of duty it was, which was in the writer's mind. As
an inspired cxjionnder of Christian rights and duties, Paul
declares thai he might, with full freedom of speech, require
Philemon to declare Onesimus free. But he would take a milder —
perhaps, for his'purpose, a more effectual course; theasBertion of
rights sometimes revolts the wrong-doer. Certainly it would be
more conmderatc, more kind, more Christian-like, to give Phile-
mon the opportunity of doing what was right of his own accord,
from his own sense of justice, from his own recognition of
Christian principles ; and therefore — to use Paul's own words—
"yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee," (v. 9,) " for without thy
mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it
were of necessity, but willingly." (v. 14.) " No; do you by your
own act pronounce his freedom, not as if construned by doty
enforced by me, but as prompted by Christian principle and
Christian lov^ abounding in your own heart."

Besides this unquestionable right which is not disallowed, bat
kindly thrown into the background, there is also in the Epistle
the pleading of a claim grounded on the implication of a ri^t.
The claim is that of Onesimus who has a right to freedom.
That claim and that rif^t are now rather implied and inti-
mated thsji declared. There is a sort of tacit appeal to princi-
ples recognised in common by the three persons concerned.
Those principles are Christian principlea They are quietly put
forth in the words, " Receive him for ever, not now as a sorant,

TOCSSADTT LOLVKBTUXE.

49

I above a servaat, — a brother belas'ed." Observe here bow
itly Christian principles are insinuated- " Not now as a
Bervant, but a brother." The original is yet more forcible — "tu>
longer as a servant." No ! do longer ; the slave is a slave no
more ; in becoming a Chrixtian, be ha-s become a man ; and yonr
relation as well as his is changed; no more master as he is no
more stave. So are both brothers. The same great fact is
■ntitoated in the words " for ever," " that thou shoiildest receive
him for ever." The bond which binds beloved brethren is not
liftbls to be disturbed by quarrehi or broken by flight; it is
dnrable, it is everlasting, it is ss permanent an life, as long as
eternity. And those who are linked together by spiritual bonds
are not maatere and slaves, but citizens of the commonwealth of
God, uid joint-heirs with the saints in light. A higher relatioa
haA come and dissolved the lower, as the sun melts the
anow on the mountains ; " above a sla%-e, a brother." And mark
with wliut emphasb the apostle adds to this claim of brotherhood ;
" a brother beloved," " beloved specially to me," yea, " how much
^^^Bttore unto theel" What, this lugitive slave exceedingly loved by
^^^Bsinjuredmasterl Yes, "bothin tbetleshandiutheLord;" — in
^^^Ehe flesh, because in the Lord, the slave loved because in be-
soming a Chi-iatian he had become a man, and because in
his new relation, and in its moral consequences, Onesimus, slave
by law as be still was, possessed the highest title to Philemon's
ragard. Surely these ai-e views which dissolve slavery as with
the breath of the mouth of the Lord. And with views such as
these, Paul doubtless bad the tirmost confidence that Philemon
^^_ woiuld set Oneaimus free. Free indeed Onesimus u'as in the
^^Btenrt of conscience with both Paul and Philemon. It only
^^^■emiuned for the latter to pronounce him Iree. How then has it
^^K«anie to pass that advocates for slavery have ventured to plead
the example of the apostle Paul, saying, " Did not Paul send
Onesimus back into slavery?" Ko! he sent bJm back to claim
tad to receive his freedom. It is true, however, that tlie ajiostle,
like " n wise master builder," was careful to avoid giving offence
to Philemon, and did his best by gentle and soothing words to
oonciliate his favour. Slavery advocates have mistaken this

ffO TBS urx or

Chriatiaii coDsiJcration for the ca&ceeeino of a tighi. Bnt
in the cbnsidcnition the right is virtuAllf detueJ, what
oocamon for consideration was there if the right was •ilmittedl
We «re considerate of the &elxDg* of others when wb im-
pnch theii' (-hkim». uot nheii we concede them. In tmlh,
Pul weU knew that Philejnon had the kw on his fide,
wd tboof^ Pikul )ind a eonfidence that FhilemoQ would not
throw OtM-simud back into chains, he conld not be abeolat«Ij
■are thkt the Christian would prevail over the slaTe-master,
therefore he re^K^lved to deal with the utmost delicacy with
Philemoo. He must avoid giving him pain. He must avoid
mouBing his prejmlicea. He must make the past calm, in order
that the pt-csont might be bright; conaeiquentlf, he puts that bb
■n act of kindt^esji on the part of Philemon which he might have
required of him as a duty. " OneeunuB," he in effect says,
" Onenmiis ia free, for he ia a Christian man; Oneedmus is free,
for he is beyond your ruch, and deairons am I to retain his aer-
vkee, for of value are they to me; but without your mind I
voold do nothing; let his emancipation be your own good act:
better were it so than that of necesaity yon shoold be com-
pelled to forego his labour. I send him to yoo, therefor^ in
order that as a Christian you may perfonn your duty, and that
aa a man you may have the credit of declaring a fellow-man no
longer a slave. Over past injuries throw the veil of Christian
love. If yon hesitate to forgive them, set thran down to my
account. I will assume the obligation. You are, yon know,
deeply in my debt, for your religion you owe to me ; nay, your
very self; what yon are I have made you. Well, then, draw up
a statement of debtor and creditor, — on the one ude put what
you owe me, on the other, put what Oneaimaa owes you. The
totals shall balance each other, thouj^ your obligations are
fitr greater than mine. And that the rather, because as being
mj son in Christ, you are bound to do more than repay me; you
are bound to give me joy of yon in the Iiord, to let me have the
pleasure of witnessing how Christian principles prevail in your
life,— ^but I say no more, I need say no more. Having confi-
dence in thf obedience I have written unto thee, knowing also

TOUSSAIKT L^OinrERTURE. 51

that thoa wilt do more than I say.** (21.) Tes, there is the
ground on which Paul acted. He had confidence that Phile-
mon would obey hifi injunction, — an injunction all the more
imperative an a good man and a brother, because rather
intimated than obtruded, and because surrounded with all the
courtesy of that Christian charity which thinketh no evil, and
hopeth all things. Whether duty was regarded by Philemon in
its bare and severe aspect, or in the claims of biQotherly love, or
in the claims of that special love and gratitude which Philemon
owed to Paul, alike in each case, and by the united force of all,
Philemon, Paul was assured, would feel himself under the most
sacred obligations to perform a formal act of emancipation on
behalf of Onesimus.

Send Onesimus back into slavery) Paul sent him back into
the warm embrace of a brother's love. He had confidence in
that brother, because he was a brother. He believed that that
brother would do even more than Christian duty required. Yes,
he was of opinion that Philemon would not only emancipate
Onesimus, but treat him as ''a brother beloved.'* The example of
Paul and Philemon? O yes! would that it were followed. Plead
it, ye advocates of slavery ; plead it, and do more than plead it,
make it the model of your own conduct. To what is it that ye
send back the slave) Not to a loving brother, but to a hard
taskmaster; not to a happy home, but a dungeon and stripes;
not to Christian freedom, but to heathen bondage and brutish
toil, licentiousness, and degradation.

The epistle of Paul to Philemon, then, is a plea on behalf
of emancipation, on behalf of human rights, on behalf of
Christian, and as Christian, so civil and personal freedom. The
gospel unbars prison doors, and strikes off the slave's chains.
'< The spirit of the Lord," swells the frame and bursts the bonds,
as with Samson, when he threw off the Philistine cords, ''and
the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the cords
that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire,
and his bands were melted from off his hands." (Judg. xv. H.)
With true Christianity, bondage is incompatible; the two can •

b2

9» THE LIFE OV

not co-exist The one (]«etroya the otlier; the one displaces the
other as much and as eSi'ctu^y as the light dispenes the dark-
Iie« and occu]>ics its place.

If, then, thf sf lirit of Christ is in our hearts, we are friends of
liberty,— liberty of nil kutda, and for "all ordera and degrees of
men;" liberty for the slave, liberty for the citizen, liberty for
niie, children, am] tjomcstic. O the glorious liberty of the Bans
of GodI O the divine citizenship of the kingdom of heaven! In
the great spiritual commonwealth of Christ is the corainnnion of
aunts instetul of the intoehange o£ iiynafeioa; tiw Bveat barmo-
nira of Christian love inatTiai of the bandi wrmglhiy at rival
daims; the gentle miniatrioa of mobial aid, tnitaad of ariufaaij
requirement and grudging mi lioei. Ohl wlm^iall tliat king-
dom cornel come eTerywheret

This question Toussaint aaked himself The latter end of
bis life gives the reply uf his heart. Satisfied by his religions
■tndies that slavery was incompatible with the Gospel, be
teaolved to do what in him lay to annihilate slavery in his own
vicinity. But the work was too important to be rashly uiider>
taken, and Paul's prudence, and the prudence of the primitive
church at large, taught him that patience aud discretion were
virtuous as well as desirable. He would therefore wait bis
opp<atuiuty. ' True, yean passed away, and mature life threat-
ened to wane. Tet, in so arduous and perilous a task, where
one &ilure was irretrievable ruin, even long delay was preferable
to precipitation.

CHAPTER VI.

Imnediata auu«i of the iwng of tlie blado — PiMoniiom of tha pluiten —
Spread of uili-ilaTerj opinioni In Eompo^nu outbmk of tlu fint Frmch

SeTolutum — VuLmttowftr— Negro iiuiuTWtian — Timwin' J""^T"*'^'^iiinftt'T*
and miitno, and theii propartj.

While Toussaint was pursuing a course of reading and meditation
which was to conduct him in its issue to great achievement^ the
volcano of imsunection and mutual slaughter was preparing armmd

I

I

TOUSSAINT t'OurKBTtlKK.

iiitn, the prcmoDitiona of wltiuh ho was too sagacious uot to diaceni.
Hayti was prospemus. The masters daily grew more opulent on
the produce of their phuitntioDs. The war of American indepen-
dence made Itayti into a groat commercial cntrepflt, and largniy
augmented its wealth. Oould the actual condition of the colony-
have been maintained, its riches would have continued to iucreaso
— and with its riches its voluptuousness. Bnt already tliat very
wealth hull sown the seeds of disorder. The larger planters
were too opnlent and t-w powerful to be at peine with each other.
There existed n rivalrj- between the two chief cities — the Capo
and the Port-au- Prince. This rivaliy was mwJe more intonw
when, iu 1 787, the Superior Council of the Cape was supjireased,
and its power transferred to the Coimcil of Port-au-Prince, under
the general designation of "the Snperior Council of St. Domingo."
DiBsensions ensued, in which the west and the south soon took
part Appeal was made to France. The goremment listened,
bnt gftve no remedy. Recourse was had to indirect influence.
Deputies were sent to Paris. Their activity called forth oppo-
ation on the part of the colonial projirietors who habitually
resided in that metropolis ; and they, can'ied away by the fasliion
of the hour, formed, for the furtherance of their views, a club
called the Club Massaic — from the name of the hotel where the
members assembleiL Thus organized, they proceerled to with-
Btand the deputies from Hayti — and specially strove to prevent
their obtaining a hearing before the States General, The pro-
gress of events, however, creating a common alarm, the club
nnited with the deputies in seeking the establishment of a Colo-
nial Assembly. In this question, there was a now source of dis-
agreement. What should he its constitution 1 Who should be
ha members t How should its members be elected 1 These
debateablo points occaaioued long and disquieting discuaaions.
The north and the west came again into collision, and the
island waa torn by discord. The great proprietors set the ex-
ample of division and innovation. At no period could such on
example have been more unseasonable. Throughout Europe
there hod spread and wujsed strong a spirit of humanity, which
denounced slavery and sought its abolition. In En^i^and aod io.

1

5i THE UFE or

FisiioetIuitf^i<-.niiUK|iirit ucqairod inunensc Kicial power. Then
those phiUnthii.ijiiata whu atyjuired for themselv^ perpetual &iae
in pro dk i min g tlie rights of the Blave, and procuring thu aboli-
tion of the akvu tradt. Price, Priestly, Sharp, CUrksun, WUber-
Ibne, b^ian their gt'neruus and noble cfforU. Tht- eucioty of " The
Friends (^ the Bk<.'ks" was formed, and the stronghold of slaveiy
was asHuled ili » inftuiier which announeed the eerUiiiity of iu
down&lL

Could the desire of th«ae eminent men have premiled, the con-
test wonld hftv.; been left exclusively to mental and moral
resonroea. But the fermentation of tlie public mind in Ftanoe,
moved in its very depths by c«nturies of vivil and ecclesiastioal
misrule and ptxiiiigaey. provoked an appeal to the uuMt violemt
of human passions unil the moat dreailfiil of human applianocs.
The ott& of the Tennis Court and the taJdng of the Bastile com-
menoed the battle of liberty against deq>otisnL The annonnce-
ment of theee cTents in Hayti prodnoed the greatest agitation.
The existing dinxmtente received fraflli impolse. The plantera
hailed the revolution as a precursor of the independwioe of the
oolony. The offioras of the gonmment enooor^ged the di«am
of a counter-revolution. The peliti blana, intoxicated with en-
thuaiastic sympathy, cheered and suabioed the Parisian mobt^
and hoped to pnrsDe a similar oourae in the island. While the
several classes of the whites were thns distncted, the mulattoes
experienced the general excitement the more because they were
watching their opportunity for self-liberation. As tothen^roe^
they in general porsned their wont«d round of toil i^^iarently,
aad for the moat part iwdly, indiflbroit to the social commotion.
Certainly, among the agitated parties, no one thought of their
emancipation. The &ctions were intent only on their seTersl
inteiests. The colonists wanted at least an increase of thur
power. The men of colour sought to raise themselves to an
equality with the colonists. If these selfish views required ft
oovaing, the vedl was found in the claim of ssmnnimi of priri-
leges for all free men. The black was too much despised to
be thou^t of by the colonial combfttanta.

TOL-SBAIUT l'oUTZRTUBE. 55

The Grat marked elfort was made by t)ie muUttoeH, Asd so tlie
first ouDtatt was a contesc for the att&iummt of mulatto mtarest&
A deputation of men of colour was sent to Paris. Eager to pro-
mote the views of their caste, they presented nix millions of
fiimcs for the service of the stat«, and offered the fifth of their
property in mortgage of the national debt. They aske^l in
return that they should in &I1 things be jiut on a footing of
equality with the whites, whom they alleged they equalled in
nufflba*, and with whom they partook all the terrilona] and
oouunurcial wealth of the colony. The president of the Aanembly
repiinl, that " No part of the French nation should in vain claim
ri^ts at the hands of the representatives of the French peoi)le."

At the some time there t«ok place in the Assembly a diB-
cusion rusjjectiug the servitude of the blacka. The ejitira
tkation sermcl to have made the question its own ; and a di»-
tinguiahed member of the legislature uttered these bold and
iliaiuterested words : " I am one of the greatest proprietora of
St. Domingo ; but I declare to you, thnt were I to loose all I
possess there, I would make the Bacri£ce Tatber than disown the
principUe which justice and humanity have consecrated ; I declare
for both the admi.saion into the adminifltrativc assemblies (of the
colony) of men of colour, and the hbemtiou of tiie hlackH," Thia
famous declaration made by Lometh produced an immense effect J
it astounded tlie great planters, and tilled them with distrust and
ha:tred against the men of colour. That adverse feeling mani-
fested itnelf in the execution at the Cajie of the mulatto lacombe^
whose only crime was the affixing of his signature to a petition,
in which he claimed the rights of man. The molattoes of Petit
Ooave had addressed to the electoral assembly of the west of
Hayti a petition in which they humbly requested, not equality of
rightH, but merely some improvements in their condition. Those
who liad put their names to the entreaty were all apprehended,
and the ]i«son who drew it up. Ferrand de Baudi^re, though

iputed a just and wific man, and though Le had been high
iffiee, was, with only the forms of a trial, hurried into the hands
of the executioner, in spite of the efforts made to save him by

1

9S TttB ure or

the colonial gx)Teniiiieut Whilo these aiid other dupUjs of hope
<Hi t}>e one lidc und Jt^onsj odiI fear on the other, were taldng
pkoe, a deoK-.- of t!io French IrfgUUture (8th of March, 1790)
anivedin the eoloiiy.wliich.fouiidedoQ broad priocipleitofjaatiue,
gave the men of ixilour the right to enter the colonial a^mblirs.
Tbe Haytian n-i>reseiitatiTca, juat coDslitul«>d under the ordem of
Louia XVI., and assembled »t Saint-Marc, with the titto of
" Gfloend Aesemlily." l*fore they proceeded to any other busincai,
fivmally decland that all the whites would die rather than ahara
political rights uith " a bastard and degenerate race." Mnre-
orer, they prcK'liunicd themselves the sole legal and legitimate
i«pieaentatiT>-<( of the colony, and diaUlowwi the anthority of the
GoYBnMMvGeiH-ntl, whose power emanateid from the French go-
Temment, merely conaentiog to sabmit their decreee for the royal
miction. By these and similar steps, the tendency of which was
to concentrate all power in the hands of a portion of the resident
planters, two anthoritjee were set in operation, for the usurpations
of the General Aasraibly oompeUed theGovemor aod the Superior
Cotmcil of Fort-ao-Prince, in anion with the Provincial Ajoembly
of the North, to take measures of self-defence, and to maintain
tiieir position. A bitter contest ensued.

During the progress of tbeee collisions, a new element of nm-
fautm intervened. Vincent Og^ a man of coloor, son of a
wealthy batcher at the Ci^te, whom the mnlattoes had sent to
Fkris, as one of their depntiea, landed at Cap Francois, Octobo-
17th, 1790, tmder the name of Poissac, with the title of lien-
tenant-cokmd, and the order of the Lion, which he had pur-
chased of the [»ince of limbonrg ; and having visited his mother,
who lived in handsome style at Dondon, marched, in alliance
with Chavanne, a man of his own caste, at the head of two hun-
dred men to Ia Grande Rivitoa, in the department of the north.
Tram the camp which he established there, he sent to the
pmndent of the Assembly of that department tiie fidlowing

toussautt l'ouvbbtuke. 57

^'yikcent oq]^ to the meicbers composikg the pboyincial

assembly of the cafe.
" Gentlemen,

" A prejudice too long maintained, is about to ML I
am charged with a commission doubtless very honourable to my-
self. I require you to promulgate throughout the colony the
instructions of the National Assembly of the 8th of M^rch,
which gives without distinction to all free citizens the right of
admission to all offices and functions. My pretensions are just,
and I hope you will pay due regard to them. I shaU not call
the plantations to rise ; that means would be unworthy of me.

'* Learn to appreciate the merit of a man whose intention is
pure. When I solicited from the National Assembly a decree
which I obtained in fitvour of the American colonists, formerly
known under the injurious epithet of '' men of mixed blood,*' I
did not include in my claims the condition of the negroes who
live in servitude. Tou and our adversaries have misrepresented
my steps in order to bring me into discredit with honourable
men. No, no, gentlemen ! we have put forth a claim only on be-
half of a class of freemen, who, for two centuries, have been under
the yoke of oppression. We require the execution of the decree
of the 8th of March. We insist on its promulgation, and we
shall not cease to repeat to our friends that our adversaries are
unjust, and that they know not how to make their interests com-
patible with ours. Before employing my means, I make use of
mildness ; but if, contrary to my expectation, you do not satisfy
my demand, I am not answerable for the disorder into which
my just vengeance may cany me."

Og6 was attacked by a force of six hundred men. The attack
he repeUed. The colonists sent another body of fifteen hundred
men against him. Oge was defeated and fled. He took refuge
in the Spanish territories. His surrender was demanded from
the Spanish authorities. Being delivered up, he was put on his
trial That trial, £unous in the annals of Hayti, lasted two
months. At last Og6 and his lieutenant, Chevanne, were con-
demned to be broken alive on the wheel, and tbsix ^gy^ V^\^

i^WlUwiMh. lli.king. The seotenoo WM iiiiiiwdi*tely pm into
^^tH'MtUi. N- vCTth^Mithemiktto wsrwasnotLroDgbttoaa
MhI ( >ii lti<> f.mirntj, thB itmn of aaeeadaucy and the thint
fcr n>v«nga IvcAine ererj dajmanmdmMK intense.

lltCinDedi.fthe rarolulicnai; praoeedingB of Uw Aisctiiblf of
IH. Mare,thi iiutli'iritJM in the moUicr conutiy declared what it
Iwl (luiMi noil iii„I void, dinatod its memben of their aathority,
rM|uli*d ft n«'w .(/■clioii of deputJeg in their place, and sent two
t*>lpUimtt of tlin liin' to carry their ordinances into <.>xecQtion.
TtUf mnlKttiKTi w,ri' ciitkuida^ic with joy. The colonists r»-
|wllwl with ij..|jj^rnitiiin the thought of receiving men of oolotir
M oo-le^*kt"r.i with thMMwlveiL New riatDgn took place, new
oonflicta enniiL'<L The jMMionB every day burned more fiercely,
Mid while tlw! niiiliittr-c* clicrisht-d >x.iindl(Ss hoj^s, the whitea,
ovorflowing with indignAtion, put themaelvea in open rerolt
ftgainat the mother conntiy, denying ita prerogative^ and
rafiutng the dvic oath. In tbe midst of theae thickening dis-
OTder% tbe planters resident in France were invited to retnm.
Mid anit in vindicating the civil independence of tbe inland.
Then wu it that the mulattoes appealed to the slaves. Terrible
WM the reeolt. The slavea awoke as if from an ominous dream.
Un der one of their claaa. named Bot 'Vwa", a man ^ Qeicnlean
Htrength, who knew not what danger was, the nepoe a on t he
night of August 2lBt, T791, arose in tiie terri fic powe r qLhQite
force. Qaioing immediate succese, they w-pidly iitcnaaed '"
nunibora, and grew hot with fury. They fdl on t he plantations ,
>laughtered their proprietors, and destroyed the property. Such -
progroBM did tbe insurrection make, that on the 26th, the third of
the habitations of the Northern Department were in ashca. In
a week from it4 commencement the storm bad swept ova the
whole plain of tbe itorth, from east to weat, and bom the monn-
taiiu to the ■«. ThoBe rich bonaes, those superb bctcciea woe
in ruina. Oonflagiatioti raged evoywbere. Tbe mountain^ .
voTered with nnoke and boming fragmenta, borae npwards by
the wind, looked like volcanoes. Tbe atmaqthere, as if on &n,
ivnmbled a frunaoe. Elverywhere were seen signs of ihjiaMa
/ inn — J»njj i.i.^1 edifioea, nKmldering embv^ aoattoed and

TOUSSADIT l'OUVEBTURE. 69

broken fximiture, plate^ and other precious articles overlooked bj
the marauders ; the soil running with blood, dead bodies heaped
the one on the other, mangled and mutilated, a prey to Toracious
birds and beasts.* In proceedings so horrible, Toussaint could
take no part. Faithful to his owner, he, during a whole month,
protected the plantation, at the head of the negroes, whom he
greatly contributed to keep in obedience, and preyented the
insurgents from setting the fields of sugar-K»uie on fire. While
all the whites were flying for their lives, and hurrying to find a
shelter in the towns, Madame Bayou de Libertas, protected by
Toussaint, remained in her own abode. The superintendent
himself, who was in camp at Haut-du-Cap, not fiir from his
plantation, safely ventured near every day, in order to keep up
the vigilance of the slaves. His safety he owed to Toussaint,
who, with inexpressible joy, saw Bayou among the negroes at a
moment when a white skin insured instant deatL Happy the
slave-owner who, in such a crisis, has in his gang one who,
like Toussaint^ is a man and a Christian indeed. Hiiving
exerted every power to protect his mistress, assist his master,
and defend the property, and seeing the insurrection becoming
constantly more formidable, exhausted also by fatigue, Toussaint
at length induced Madame de Bayou, whose life he knew was in
danger, to quit Breda, and proceed to the Cape. In the
absence of her husband he got the carriage ready, loaded it
with articles of value, placed his mistress therein, and confided
her to the care of his younger brother PauL Nor was this
the only service rendered to the £unily by their noble slave.
One of the first uses which he made of the influence he acquired
was to enable them to emigrate. While every white man and
all he possessed were devoted to destruction. Bayou, with his
^Euooily and a rich cargo, left Hayti and settled in the United
States.

* See Xote B, at the end.

Tin: LiFB or

CHAPTER VTI.

iMnuDil rollwion of th» pUtll»f». lio loiiUlt™*, ind llic negT-iei — The plinlrrs
willing lo iTtAiro Kogluih ftHt— Tlie afgnrt pvpouic Ibe cau«? of Loui*
2TI.— Arriril uf CoBuiuininicn rrom FcBnB^->e){DtiBliaIU~KnuiDplian
of LottilitK* — -TDUHaiut gaini influence.

The (iireful efficiency with which the negroes bad devastated
the countiy, indicated the presence among them of a skill
saperior to any they conld pomess. That ekill was lupplied bj
mulattoes, who organized the destroying banda and directed their
moTenicnts. Tho " W^tard and d<?p.'ni'rato" mce thus stnick a
deadly blow at their criminal parentn.

Daring the progress of these furious excesses, a new general
asaemhly of planters opened its Bessions, under the title of
"Colonial Awembly." Its first act was an act of rebelltoD.
Befiuing to apply to France for aid, and baTing taken measures
of self-defence, it sought protection from England. These were
the terms it employed in a letter addressed to the governor of
Jun^ca: —

Au C^ FnnTu, Auguit Elth, ITBI.

" The General Assembly of the French part of 3t. Domingo,
deeply offacted by the calamities which desolate Saint Domingo,
has resolved to send a deputation to your Excellency, in order
to place before you a picture of the misfortniies which have
fidlen on this beautiful island ; fire lays waste our poesesBiona,
the hands of our n^roes in arms are already dyed with the blood
of our brethren. Tery prompt assistance is necessary to save
the wreck of our fortonee — already half-destroyed ; and con£ned
within ibe town^ we look for your aid."

Without awuting a reply, the Qeneral Assembly adopted the
round English bat as tl»e uniform of its troops, and substituted
the black cockade for the French national ooloura.

TOUSSAINT l'OUVERTUKE. 61

The reply of the GoTemor, Lord Effingham, did not come
up to the expectations of the planters; he merely sent five
hundred muskets, with some ammunition, and commanded a
vessel of fifty gtms to cruise off the western coast

Meanwhile the black insurgents, after augmenting their num-
bers by force as well as persuasion, placed themselves under
the standard of royalty; they gave themselves the name of
"The King's Own," and their leader, Jean-Fran9ois, assumed
the title of High-Admiral, while his second in command
became GeneraUssimo of the conquered territories. Summoned
to yield by Blanchelande, Governor of French Hayti, they
replied, —

" Sib, — We have never thought of failing in the duty and
respect which we owe to the representative of the person of
the King, nor even to any of his servants whatever; we have
proofs of the fact in our hands ; but do you, who are a just man as
well as a general, pay us a visit; behold this land which we have
watered with our sweat-— or rather, with our blood, — ^those edi-
fices which we have raised, and that in the hope of a just reward !
Have we obtained it? The King — the whole world — ^has
bewailed our lot, and broken our chains ; while, on our part, we,
humble victims, were ready for anything, not wishing to aban-
don our masters. What do we say? We are mistaken; those
who, next to Crod, should have proved our fathers, have been
tyrants, monsters unworthy of the fruits of our labours : and do
you, brave general, desire that as sheep we should throw our-
selves into the jaws of the wolf? No ! it is too late. God, who
fights for the innocent, is our guide; he will never abandon us.
Accordingly, this is our motto — Dea^ cr Victory! In onler to
prove to you, excellent sir, that we are not so cruel as you may
think, we, with all our souls, wish for peace, — but on condition
that all the whites, whether of the plain or of the mountains,
shall quit the Cape without a single exception ; let them carry
with them their gold and their jewels, we seek only liberty, —
dear and precious object 1 This, general, is our profession of
faith ; and this profession we will maintain to the last dio^ ^1

62 THE urE OP

onr blood. Vi'v Ao not lack powder and cauuona, Ttierefore.
libertj or iekih I God grant that wc may obtain treedom with*
out the eflbsKjii of blood ! Then all our desires will bo accom-
plished ; and bolieve it has cost our feelings very much to have
taken this coui-se. Victory or death for freeduiu I"

l^uB a8nuii|itioii uf the pttrt of Louia XTT. astounded aud
perplexed the pluitcrs. The tact, howerer. waa only too pUin.
By means <rf tlit Spaniards of Hayti. the counter revolutionaiy
pMrty iu PnuiL-i.' gave secret rapport to the insurgcnU, if they
did not bIm) vail thetn forth : and in order to impart fettaibilily
and vigour to tlic movement, tbey gave out that tbc king's life
had been put in 'Jjuiger by the wbit«a. because be tiiul resolved
to emancipate the Uacka. Straags nrenala! Whilo the
oolonists hoisted TJn glwh ooloun, their slaves exhibited the white
flag, with the words on one side Long live the king; and, on the
other. The ancient tysteia of government.

The insurrection proceeded ; the n^roee carried their arms
from place to place, and sabdning all the open country, reduced
the colonists to the defensive. Aa the oonteet went on, horrois
multiplied. The planters hung on trees and hedges the de*d
bodies of their black prisoners; the insurgents formed around
their camp au enclosure marked by the bleeding heads of those
who fell under their hands. The fhry of the negroes was sti-
mulated by unworthy priests ; bnt even religion was powerless
when it endeavoured to place a barrier against tumultuous
paasion. A priest was hong on the spot for the crime of
trying to protect innocent women from brutal violatioo.

The superior discipline at the command of the coloniste, how-
ever, began to prevaiL The negroes were checked, and drivmi
back. Their bands were directed by three chie&, Jean-Fran9oia,
Biasson, and Jean not.

Jean-Francis belonged to a colonist of the name of PquUoo.
A young Creole of good exterior, he bad not been able to bear
the yoke of slavery, though he had no special caose of complaint
against his master ; he had, long before the revolution, obtained
hia Uhtrty, Flying from the plantation, he joined tba marooo^

I
I

L OUVEKTiritE.

or black fUgitivea, who wanilered at Urge in the refuge o
motrataino. He was iiAlm-ally of a mild disiKwitian, nod inelined
to clemencj. Tf bis oarecr was stained by cruelties, the c
must be imputed to perfidious cooncila. Of no gi'eal couisge,
and little enterprise, be owed hia commaud to lua intellectual
Biiperiority.

Biaasou belonged to the religious body designated "The
Fathers of Charity." A contrast, in erery respect, to Jean-
FraoQoia, he was fiery, raah, wrathful, and vindictive. Always
in action, alwajrs on horseback, very auspicious, and very aajiiring,
be oEorped the lead which the apathy of his principal almost
let bll intohis handa. Jean Francois loved luxury, fineclothes,
and grand equipages ; Biaaaou was given to women and drink.

Je&nnot, a slave of the plantation of M. Bullet, was small
ftnd slender in person, and of boundlesa activity. Perfidiooa of
soul, his aspect was frightliti and revolting. Capable of the great-
est crimes, he was inttcces^ble to regret and remorse. Having
sworn implacable hatred against the whites, he thrilled with rage
when he saw them; and his greatest pleasure was to bathe his
hands in their blood. On his maater's estate, the chief tlieatre
of his Crimea, he was soro, after committing a massacre, to gatht?
vp in his handa the blood which flowed ou all ludea, and carrying
it to his mouth, was heard to eiclaim — "Oh, my frienda, how-
sweet — how good — this white blood I let us take Ml draughts;
let ua swear irreconcilable revenge against our oppreBaora ; peace
with Ihem, never- — bo help me God t" Like cruel men in general,
Jeannot was as cowardly as he was taithlees. Yet was he
daring in attack; and when danger pressed, his fear or his fuiy
drove his troops to a resistance proof against attack, or compelled
them to snatch a victory by cutting off every way of retreat.

Such were the men under whom Toussaint now found himself.
]fo longer able to choose the moment for couuuencing hia beuc-
Tolent enterprise, ho was hurried into the eddying torrent by the
ewelling streams of popular fanaticism. Hia fidelity to his pro-
prietors making him an object of suspicion and a butt for negro
attack, he was, even in sell'-defencc, obltgod to fall into the ranks
of the raging iusnigenta. Generally known as much for hia

fii TBI UTK OF

tstdligence u L is uioderation, he vu the Itsa Uk«ly to be apared ;
bat dragged iuto tho rebellioa against his better foclingB and his
judgment, he was n^nled with dLstniet. Withheld, in cionae-
qnenoe, from the milibuy post for vhich his t&Ieuts fitt«d him,
he was commiimft^l to emptor hio me<li<:al skill iii taking ca»' of
the wonnded- l^'ni. tlj- :iiiil n-.'lully emjJoyt-d in an offiee which
vaa agreeable to his feelingly be, kt s dktapeB fron Urn onaflio^
tnmed his natmrally Tefleotave mind to tbe ^taiy of the r™~— '
qnaJiticB of his chiefs, and lOMqidndaiiaeqiiaintaitoewitlt titcor
weaknesses, which gmtij aided him in Ht length aWMniiiig
aapreme command, ^mt port ho reaelwd witkoot dkgraoi^
himself by blood or pillage, in a oontort in iriiii^ mraailihi i
both crowded on his ai^t. He in» bj natoie ntiring and
pven to eeclnaion, bnt in Franfoia I^fitte, iritom he had kag
known, and whom he now found among the insorgenta, he had
one oompanion with whom similarity of ideaa and feelings made
interconne both pleaunt and profitable. It may well be sup-
posed that these two men, united in the bonds of goodness and
philanthropy, often deplored together the horrible excesMs which
they witneesed or of which they heard

As, however, the insnrrection passed on — and specially when
defeat made its conduct difficult, the leaders found it imperative
to bring forward all men of sapdior talent. No longer, there-
fore, was TouiBaint permitted to pnmue his medical occupations.
Taken out of comparative privacy, he was made aide-d»^smp
to Biasson.

A grotesque spectacle did that negro army, or rather thoee
negro bands, present. The slaves were ridiculously attired in the
spoils of their masters. The cavalry were mounted on lumbering
horses and mulee, worn down by labour and &tigue. The horse-
man was armed with a musket almost as dangerous to himself
as to his foe. The in&ntiy were all bnt naked, and destitute of
experience ; their weapons were sticks pointed with iron, broken
or blunted swords, pieces of iron hoop, and some wretched guns
and pistols. Notwithstanding the alarm they inspired, thetroope
were abnost without ammunition. Jean Francois, decorated
with ribbons and orders which he had plundered in the nek of

ab[>de8 of the proprietors, gave himself out for a uLcvalier i

order of Saiiit Louis, besides tokiug to himself the tttlesi of

X and gi;uendi«<imo. Biassou and Jeannot were brigadien,

title which wan fixed on Touaaaint : the rest were marahalti,

:«oiunkandere, geu^nds, colonels, and some condescended to be

At a later period, Biaasou. on having a disagreement

ith Jeau Fnm^oia, a^iuncd tbe pompoua title of viceroy of the

conquered countries. Only an iron diw.'ip1uie could maintain

any oivler in rnich a body of men. The Boldiera had sought

lilierty, and for the moment foimd the severest bondage. Dia-

ob«(lience was punished with severity, in the more flugrant

ioBtancee with decapitation. Yet some regard was shown to the

nghta of proiierty, for the ateater of cattle was hanged.

The leaders of the insurrection feared each other. Jeannot'a
cruelties were held in abomination by Toussaint, Jean Fran-
cois, by whom Jcaunot was dreaded, resolved to dieemban'Bss
himself of the monster. Seizing his opportunity, he caused him
to be apprehended. Trietl by a nummary process, Jeannot was
.■entenced to be shot. In this moment of peril, the wretch who
llkad shed so much blood, and who had gloated over the sufTerings
of his victims, proved how cowardly a soul he had. He throw
hims^on hiH knees befure Jean Fram^^is, supplicated pardon,
offered to purchase life by becoming his slave ; and when tbe
priest came up to oQer him spiritual aid, he took him into his
arma, pressing body to body, and was only by violence torn &om
him, to he dragged to execution.

The whites, although they had gained ad\'antages in the war,
scarcely less than the blacks agitated with mutual disseu-
Wtile they lost time and energy in discord, the men of
Dolour assumed a formidable position under one of their caste,
named BeauvsiE. The movement hod an excuse in the cruoltics
which the colonists peqwtrated at the Cape, where seventeen
mnlattoes had been put to death without even the forms of a trial,
and where daily fugitive elaves, even the most iaithftil, were, on
seeking an saylura in the city, forthwith hanged, after having
escaped the dangers of being massacred on their i-oad by some of
the white scouts who scoured the neighbourhood.

I

66 THE UTH OP

On eveiy Uilt iLl- graseeat tojnstice prenilad ; <Tin)« waiS n-
pAid with criiTjo ; vengeanoe foUowed trengeanoe ; tlio civilised
muter di^^i<l>'<l Limaclf no Itwe than the noglecUid sltive ;
between the cwi> stmifl t)m tuulatto, th« enemj' uf both, aud pro-
pared to sacrilicL' eitlier for lus own a^^grondiseni^ut.

The eaae vith whi^'h tLn u l>elr«7ed tliL- Hgtitaof the

negro may bt i;\<.'iu{>lilied in tae cob of a number of meu deno-
minated the Sirisg. la the ranks uf tin? men of colour -a-en
three huudreil slnws, who nxxuved tho title of" the Swia," from
the resemblan'.-L! which their service horc to that of the Swiss
mider the Fri'iieh moaarohy. Vteti by the men of coloor in
their war&re a>jalust the w)ut«B, they wore BUrreodcTed by the
former at the ileniimJ of the Utter the momeut furtunit b<^glUl to
&Dwn on the umLitltj cjiuiw. Conaisting of men of (.-olour aji well
as negroee, they were thrown on the ooftst ctf Jamuca. Driven
tlienoe, they either perished in the ocean or on the inhoepitable
■hores of their birth, preeenting in their Bufierings and destmc-
tion a proof of the inhomanity of the whites and the perfidy of
Uie mnlattoea.

Disorder continued to increase. It would be a tedious as
well as painful task to recount the misdeeds that were done on
all sidee, at the Cape by the colonisto, at Ia Grande Rividre by
the negroes, and in the west by the mnlattoea. The leaders of
the blacks began to feel that they had in hand a hopeleas cans&
The liberation of the negro population was not ponible in die
presence of two powerful enemies, the planters and their desocmd-
ants. Consequently they were not dimnclined to negotiate.

At this juncture, there arrired in Hayti, three commiesioneo^
sent by the mother connuy on a mission of peace. These wca«
Roume, Mirbeck, and St. L£ger. Ronme,acreoleofGrena(Ia, had
been a councillor in that island, and afterwards a commiwionBr
at Tobago. Under a simple and modest exterior, he poKsened
much knowledge ; of a phlegmatic disposition, he would have
been inaoceesible to the attacks of the Actions, had not his
ordinary fickleness called forth their eflbrta. Hiibeck, a cebt-
brated advocate in the oooncil of states where he had pkaded
aia&y causes for tbe colonista, was han^^dj and iDflexibl& St.

TOUSSAIHT L*OnYKRTUBE. 67

L6ger, had long liyed as a physician in Tobago, where he pos-
sessed slaves. The first object of these three men, was to
appease the civil war which wasted the west, and to stop the
hurricane which covered the north with ruins. They wisely
began by causing the gallows of the planters at the Cape to be
demolished. The news of their arrival induced the masters of
the slaves to open a negotiation. Eaynal and Duplessy, the
first a free mulatto, the second a free negro, being admitted to
an audience by the Colonial Assembly, received for answer the
following : — " Emissaries of the revolted negroes, the assembly
established on the law and by the law, cannot correspond with
people armed against the law — against all laws : the assembly
might extend grace to guilty men if, being repentant, they had
returned to their duty. Nothing would please its members
better than to be in a condition to recognise those who, contrary
to their will, have been hurried into guilt. "We know how to
measure out fevours as well as justice. Withdraw !" " With-
draw" to men who came with the olive-branch in their hands !
The deputies did withdraw — indignation burning in their hearts,
and curses murmured from their lips. They made their way
through the spectators with a haughty brow, and when that
crowd tried to hoot them down, they hastened to register a new
outrage in the book of vengeance.

On the arrival of the deputies at La Grande Kivi^re, the army
of the population came together. Every one had fondly dreamt
of union. What was the disappointment ! When Eaynal and
Duplessy related the disdainful manner in which they had been
treated, cries of vexation and rage rent the air. Biassou, unable
to restrain his passion, ordered all the whites detained in the
camp, to be put to death. The necessary preparations were
made ; when Toussaint — always humane— intervened, calmed
his chief, and saved the lives of the intended victims. Such is
the ascendancy of goodness. Such is the power of that rapid,
animated, and picturesque eloquence which Toussaint possessed,
and which, on very many other occasions, he employed for mer-
ciful results of a similar kind. We subjoin an instance. Biassou
one day received from the Oape a proclamatioiiYDd^«iA^\«^^>:^

f2

66 THB UFK or

tack the slaves The insurgent chief determined to pablish it
Ckosing hifl Bjildit^i^ to take their arni^ he ordered the jirocla-
mation to be i-L-ad »ii<>ud. luslAntly there arose the vwful ciy nt
" Deftth to tho whites^" Touauiat shuddered, runhed fonmnJ,
again read the ]>ruclamatioD, with a cxmunentaiy of fais own.
The result was, thut the demure for v geaitce s&uk in tbwe rudit
breaata, tean .-itole down their ^ and the prixoners wei«

saved. Such a cou-juest is onu oi the highest ochtevementa
of hiunanity. A conference took plnce. There were preseot.
the commiaaiQDiTs, and Bullet, a ropnMeutative of the Colonial
Aaaemblf. Jeim Fi-ad^ols, leaving Biasxuu at La Grande Rivi^,
hasteoed to La Petite Anse, in the vicinitj of the Cape, to tako
part in the cotiitTt-'iiee. He was foDowed \>j a eon^uder^le troop
of cavalry. Full of confidence in the reprrftentativea of the king.
he proceeded to alight from his horoe, when Ballet, seizing the
bridle, stmck him with his riding-whip. Jean Francis might
have taken inatant revenge ; he simply withdrew to his soldiers.
Who was the greaterl St. L%er saw the evil efiects this brutal
act might occasion, and, unattended, advanced towards Jean
Fnn^ia. This act of confidence restored a friendly feeling. A
peaceful arrangement was entered into, involving the emancipa-
tion of fifty persons, an exchange of prisoners, and the return of
the slaves to their laboora. Jean Francis required the Ubera-
tion of his wife, who lay in the prisons of the C^>e. There is no
reason to believe that the request waa complied with. But the
inaufgent, ftithful to his word, the next day diamiaeed his pri-
sonera, employing in the benevolent office the mild Tou^aint,
and his equally mild friend, Lafitte.

Peace seemed at hand. AJaal it was very distant The
colonists, displeased with the pacific tendencies of the commis-
sioners, endeavoured to aet aside their powers, and required
their obedience. The mulattoea suffered disadvantages, but
could not be put down. The negroes resumed their devastations.
On every side was disorder, alanghter, and ruin. The pride and
obstinacy of the planters rendered accommodation iropoewble ;
their weakness exposed the colony to carnage the moat frightfol,
and depredations the most extensive. Meanwhile, Jean Francois

rovsAAnxT l'ouvebture. 69

and Biassou were each too powerful and too ambitions to act
cordially together. They came to an open quarrel, and drew off
their seyeral forces into two camps. Toussaint, now the prin-
cipal aide-de-camp of Biassou, brought on himself the enmity of
his rival, Jean Francois, though hitherto he had succeeded in
keeping on good terms with both. The hostile feeling seems to
have been called forth by Toussaint's intellectual preeminence.
However, Toussaint, disregarding the dissensions of the generals,
quietly and efficiently discharged his duties, and gradually gaining
the esteem of the army, laid the foundations of the great influ-
ence which he was one day to exert on behalf of negro inde-
pendence. He alone wept when he saw the hope of peace vanish,
e alone remained unsullied by crime, while Jean Francois and
Biassou not only committed ravages and massacre, but even
sold into slavery to the Spaniards many of the very men for
whose liberty they pretended to be fighting, and who were their
companions in arms.

CHAPTER VIIL

France makes the mulattoea and negroes equal to the whitee — ^The decapitation of
Louis XVI. throws the sUvos into the arms of Spain — They are afraid of
the revolutionary republicans — Strife of French political parties in Hayti —
Conflagration of the Cape — Proclamation of liberty for the negroes produces
Uttle effect — ^Toussaint captures Dondon — Commemoration of the fall of the
Bastille — ^Displeasure of the planters — ^Bigaud.

Such was the condition of affiurs when there was brought to
Hayti a decree of the Legislative Assembly which, among other
things, declared that the men of colour and free negroes should be
admitted to vote in all the parochial assemblies to be convened
in order to elect a new general assembly and municipal corpora-
tions. The decree was supported by commissioners, of whom
Sonthonax was at the head. It was, however, impossible to givs
it immediate effect The contest proceeded. The mulatU^t^

70 9B

overcome, joined the cokniitai jgwimt itm Vmiak TkmWmkm
defeated, took shelter in tli» mmmkmmt isd ooMlMftl^ wtrnmrnA
their predatory warfiure. A ftidhcM— of aomyKwHpn mMwH i»
the troubles of the island; ImwXVXIhmI ban bahaidML Umb
the slaves gave up all thfwghi of paiee. yalniaBy indmwd to
a monarchy, they renounoed the
and passed over into the lervioe of Chnte lY^ hmg of
Jean Francis received the tiftlo of l i mdmaM4k m mt l in
monarch's army; Biassoa beoHM otfo of his hqgadaflnj
Tonssaint was honoured wiftb the mhmo xnoik of ooafidHMSL A
medal, bearing the effigy of Chariofl^ WW dosnod la than* JJwkm
this powerful protection, the ii
than ever.

France, in the midst of her own tRNibles^ did not oeose to
an eye, £rom time to time, on her distracted colony. She dispatched
General CkJbaud to take the command in HaytL Disembarking
at the Cape, (May 6, 1793,) he proceeded to assume the executive
power. But the French commission already in the island,
triumphant in the west and in the south, had everywhere esta-
blished mulatto in place of white commanders. Betuming on
the 7th of June to the Cape with a detachment of freed men,
commanded by Chanlatte, the conmussioners directed Galbaud
to re-embark. Unwillingly he obeyed. His brother, a man of
ability, remained in the city, and agitated the minds of the
people against the commissioners. The vessels in the harbour
were loaded with prisoners sent thither by the Government.
Breaking their chains, they, to the number of one thousand two
hundred, efiected a landing. Their bands increasing as they
proceeded, they directed their course to the Grovemment house,
inhabited by the commissioners. The i^proaches to it were
defended by men of colour. The National Guards and mounted
volunteers joined the partizans of Galbaud. The troops of the
line remained in their quarters, not knowing, in the strife of
authorities, which was legitimate. Fighting took place in the
streets, the fury of which was stopped only by night. The next
day hostilities were resumed. At length the troops of the line
declared for the commissioners. Nevertheless^ their party seemed

TOUSSUHT LOUVEBTCRE.

71

It W!

to lom gTcnmd. Theu the priaooH vera thrown opem, and the
(thftiiis of the blacks wero broken- Spreadioj; themselres ahroad,
these captives showed theiiisel\"es worthy of ihe liberty they had
■jost roceiveU. Pierrot and Macaya. two black chielii of the in-
'rBirgent negroes on the hilla of the Cape, being invited, came
vith their fierce associateii to take part in the caruage. Galband
deflated. With a few of his followers he regained his ahipa.
His brother temained in the hands of the ootntniiaioucra. He
himvell', with moi'e than t^i thousand rofiigeos of all Uses, set
sail for the United SUte& The city. " the Paris of the Antillw,"
a» the culonist enthusiastically termed Cape Town, was in flamcB,
and on every side presented the shocking tokens of pillage,
slau^ter, sad conflAgration. Truly did the flames of the French
revolution set on fire the world. The atrifea of political par-
tizauship which raged in Paria. were tranfiplant«d to llaytJ,
where they raged with ail the heat of a tropical climate and all
the aoimusi^ of a civil war. Aa if to lud in wearing down the
forces of the planters, white men, who should have healed
grievances an<i restored tranqoiUity, came &iom the mother
oountiy only to call forth new enmities, and add new brands to
the burning. These oollitduns among men of whit« blood, went &r
to remove and destroy the veil of prestige and fisar with whioh^
nader centuries of domination, they were regarded by the blackH.
It was DOW found that the plautera werti no more than men ;
nrdinary men ; men of low passions ; intensely selfish men ;
who foil beneath the black man's sword; nay, mrai who

idd not keep their baoda from each other ; men who themfielves
destroyed the property which the negroes producnL These
were prt^aot and dangerous lessons. Y«s, the blaoka are on
the rood to freedom, and the whites are their guides aod helpers

The commiaaion retired from the burning city into the neigh-
bouring highlands, where a. camp was formed to protect the
Cape from the imiption of the insurgents. Having no longer
any confidence in the whites, all of whom they suspected of anti-
revolutionary sympathies, and seeking new defenders of the
caose of republicanism, they, on the 22nd of June, proclaimed
the Ireedom of all slaves who should enrol themselrea for tSm

I
I

72

gacred cause of the vepdUML FSflOoi^ lAo
BiasBou, at Port Fnui^oi^ not fior from the (kfm,
to respond to the ^prodmuiAm; he, yMt hm htmip
place himself at the diiyosdof tJMionmmisMnin

While yet the conflfyafcion wm not egrtrngnkiMdi peakibMsa
and fiunine fell on the misfwihlii iwhihitiBBti of Oqw Tbwn> A
yet more dreadful enemy impooded. The iBRieity and
of the blacks alarmed the
as to the means of

put forth a proclamatina, m which they wM, ''Thel
had recently been set free eonld not be
were closely bound to their ooantry bj the tnwnhnig tiae of
husband and ^ther, and ihat^ oonseqiMPl^, thej weve eaA in-
vested with the right of bestowh^ liberty on their wives and
their children.** Admirable resolution ! But has it come soon
enough f Why will men delay justice until justice itself is of
little or no avail f The blacks, degraded by life-long bondage,
saw in these words only a recognition of their entire freedom ;
in other terms, only an authority to do what they pleased. But
a small number of them responded to these efforts for their
social improvement. The blame lay chiefly with white m^i,
who cabaUed and plotted among the blacks in order to make
them effective in maintaining the cause of royalty. Thus did
the black chiefii, Jean Francois and Biassou, reply to the offer of
the commission : — *^ We cannot conform to the will of the nation,
because, from the beginning of the world, we have executed only
the will of a king: we have lost the king of France, but we are
esteemed by the king of Spain, who bestows on us rewards, and
ceases not to give us succour; consequently we are unable to
acknowledge you, the commissioners, before you have found a
king.** To this declaration of their intentions the negroes
remained true. The expedient had failed. Hostilities became
more bitter than ever.

In this refusal of the privileges tendered by the republican
commissioners, Toussaint took his share of responsibility.
Doubtless he partook of the monarchical prepossessions of his

T0U8BAINT L*OUVEBTUBE. 73

associates. Boyalty he considered as the sole sufficient pledge
of liberty. He both feared and distrusted republicans, of
whose excesses in Europe he had read so mucL He may
have regarded the tardy concession of freedom as a subterfuge,
and not unreasonably may he have suspected the danger that
the n^roes would be sacrificed in the collisions of the white
Actions. Uncertain too, was it, whether the commissioners
would be able to maintain themselves in power, and should the
planters gain the upper hand, they would easily deal with their
slaves, then no longer enrolled and under discipline, but scattered
over the land, indulging in the intoxication of recent fi:ieedom.
Besides, he had taken a part ; he was a soldier of the king of Spain,
and had more to hope for from his interest in that quarter, than
could be gained by rushing into the arms of the feeble commis-
sioners.

Toussaint had already made his apprenticeship in warfare.
With his superior knowledge and ability, and with his resolute
yet silent will, he had readily fought his way into a foremost posi-
tion, and won both confidence and distinction. / The insm'gents
held strong places in the mountains which rise to the south of
the Cape, in the neighbourhood of La Grande Rividre, Dondon,
Marmelade, &c. Thither the commissioners directed their hos-
tilities. The whole district was subject to the insurrection,
except Marmelade. Thither Brandicourt, the government's
commander, determined to retire. But there was in his coimdls
a traitor, Pacot, who was in correspondence with the enemy.
Undw his influence it had been resolved that the retreat should
take place during the day-time. Informed of the arrangement,
Toussaint laid his ambuscadea Next morning, the army began
its march. Planel, lieutenant of grenadiers, commanded the
advanced guard. As he proceeded he was encoimtered with
the cry, " Who goes there T ** France," was his reply. " Then
let your general come and speak to ours — no harm shall befid
him," answered one of Toussaint*s officers, who, with a company
of men, was posted there. Brandicourt, who was in the centre
of his forces^ on learning the confusion that had arisen, hastened

H

I

to the spot, leaving tbc commAnd to Pacot. Having i
noibred the enemy, lie ordered an attack. Ferthwitb, he n
all Mdaa entreftt«ii to have an interview with TousBaint, whoae
humanity, it was urged, was well known. Besides, he had leA
behind a hundred invalids — how much better to recommend
them to TouEsaint's care. Brandiuourt yielded to the tepree«it-
atioDS, went forward, and wa» immediately seited. He and bis
officers were diaai-nicd, bound and conducted to Toussaint's CMnp.
The blacks are beginningtoshow that under an able leader they
know how to make themaelvos respected. But ihe Fi-ench
general's soldiers yet stood in their ranks, armed, and ready for
battle. " Write," aaid TonKsuint to Braudicourt, " and com-
oumd your forces to yield," Taking the pen, Brandicourt in
teais wrote that, being a prisoner, he lotl Pocot to follow the
coui'sc which pnidenue might si«om to dictate. " No," added
ToUEiaaint, tearing the paper, " I must have from you an express
order to Pacut, to lay down his arms." The order waa sent.
On receiving it. Pacot read the uommand to hia officem, and
added, '■ Do what you like ; for myself I surrender." The
column yielded without delay. / Brandicourt, being sent to Porto
Bico, died there of grief and vexation. Yes, here is the man,
and the hoiu ie coming.

It is with difficulty that I bring myself to the uttersnoe of
commendation on merely warlike deeds. Having a deep aver-
sion to war, I shrink from any approach to a eulogy of anything
conziected therewitk But if war is ever I'espectable, it is surely
when it is employed as a. means of liberating thousands of
o]»pres»ed men from hopeleaa bondage. In the hands of Tous-
saiat, anas were the lustrament^ of freedom ; the only instru-
ments that could have been made use of Nor wa^ it an unim-
portant lesson which he had to teach, and did well t«ach, in
proving to whit« men and to the world, that negro blood did not
exclude its possessors from the highest renown which can attend
military skill and aohievements. In the victory which Tous-
naiut h.itl so oaiuly gained over a French general of no mean
repute, there appcan great ability in military' combinatioua, as
trell DB extraordinary promptitude and determination. T hMC

TOUSSAniT L OUTKBTCBE.

75

) (]ualitie!< which make a great soldier, bu<1 Hieiv qualities
in an eminent degree poasesHeJ by Touaaaiiit.

By this achimrement Dondon fell into the han<1s of the
iosDi^entfi. Doodon was the centre of the conntiy. PoseeBBedol
it, ToQtMoint had almost a free poieage into the western depart-
ment, whilcalreadythunegroforceawere triumphant in the north.

At this poBJtioD of a&ira, the commisei oners at the Capo
not nuDatorally grew alarmed. RevolviDg the means at
theii' disposal, they determined to c(<lobrate the foorth anm-
versaiy of the capture of the Biistille, in order to rerive the
republican enthoaiaam, and thereby gain power for renewed
eftbrts ngninst the insurgonta.

la the reailcr struck with the inconsistency of their condact )
Yes, these trienda of liberty are seeking arms against liberty.
Believing that the fall of the Bastille waa the &11 of tyninny in
FrancB, they dclil>eratoIy tiini the event to account in order to
buttress uji opprcssi'in in Hayti Republicans ye may be, lovefs
of freedom ye are not, any more than those, your brothers and
desoendanta, who recently put down Lbeity in Rome with re-
publican bayonets, and under republican colours. Hypocrisy
was added to inconsistency ; the qnalities are not unlike. Amid
the festivities which were designed to aid in the subjugation of
the revolted negroc«, these words were spoken by the commis-
sioner Folverel : ''The oppressed were Africans whom kings and
their satellites sent to purchase, at their own heartlis, of kings
who had not the right to sell them into perpetuaJ slavery in
America. The oppressed were descendants of the Africans who,
even when they hnd recovered their liberty, were acconntod un-
worthy of the rights of mnn. The oppressors &tB all the kings
who traffic in the life and liberty of men of all countries and all
coloors. TIte opprt'ssors are all the traitors and brigands who
wish to restore royalty and slavery."

This effuaian of indignation against " kings and their kiUU
lites" lacked one word. If '■ republicans" had been added, the
description would have been more correct. The attitement is
illustrated by the fact that Sonthonax, another of the commi»-
akutei^ in a speech delivered on the oocasion, characteriaad. tbu

76 T8B UFE OP

innigoits as " a mass of vagBbonda and idlers who xrill neither
cnltiv&te the land nor defend the cultivator*," and whom it waa
a. primaiy duty to r.dnce and compel to resume their toil*.

The tre&chtn'us fikvours ol&red lo the Macks by the commis-
Bion,b(tdofieai)<:i| and alienated the skin aristocnicy. At the town
of Jiretnie, in the extreme north-west of the southern departs
ment, the pkuiters had even formed an encampment hostile la
the civil ftatkority. They had. Moreover, driven from the towns
of the district the men of colour who had taken reliige in Lea
Cft;es on the southern side of the some tongue of laud. Son-
thonax having proclaimed liberty for all the slaves, sent Andrew
Bignnd to carry his orders into execution, and to restore the
mulattoes to theii- homes. Advancing from Petit Trou, (June
17th,) on reaching the plantation of Dexrivaux, near Jfremic,
Rigaod found hiram-lf stoj>]-ed by an < nti-enchiucnt defended by
five hundred men and five pieces of cauuoa Consulting oniy
his ardour and the object of his minion, he hast^ied to attodc
the fortification. At the head of three columns he three times
mounted to the assault ; three times was he driven bat^
After fighting for four houis and losing several brave officers, he
retreated, and at the bead of fifty men protected himself in the
midst of the greatest perils, itetiring to Petit Trou he received
reinfitrcemente and enrolled alavea. The last act made him a
special object of hatred to the planters, who, disregarding the
means, resolved to e^ct his destruction. Having crossed the
country to Les Cayes, he took part in a repetition of the festivi-
tiea which had been celebrated at the Cape. Whites, blacks, and
mulattoes exchanged tokens of friendship and manifested a com-
moD joy. In the midst of scenes which promised lasting amity,
he was &llen upon by Bandollet, commander of the white
National Guard, and barely escaped through a shower of bullets,
by extraordinary courage and activity. This disgraceful attempt
at assaaainatitm excited general abhorrence, and added impulse
and vigour to the n^ro cause.

Eigaud, who, n^xt to Toassaint, was destined to plaj the chief
part in this internecine conflict, was a mulatto in the true sense
of the term; be was, that is to say, the scm of a white man and

TOUSSAINT l'oUVBBTUBE. 7t

a black woman. Educated at Bordeaux, where he had gone
through a pretty good course of instruction, and learned the trade
of a goldsmith, and having served in Savannah and Guadeloupe,
he entered the militia in Les Cayes, his native place. While
pursuing his business, which colonial prejudices regarded as too
good for a mulatto, he was called into active service by the in-
surrection. Rigaud had in his soul the elements of a great man.
In Hindostan he would have foimded an empire. In Hayti he
scarcely rose above a banditti chief ; yet did he know how to
make himself formidable. Of a martial aspect, his countenance
was terrible in combat; yet after the excitement was over, it was
mild and engaging. In the progress of the war of liberation he
raised, organized, and conmianded a legion, called " The South-
em Legion of Equality," which proved the finest and the most
effective of the troops formed in Hajrti. Aware, in his own ex-
perience, of the value of knowledge, he took pains to have hia
soldiers instructed. "If — ^to cite the words of a native of
Hayti — " if in the south of the isle the traveller meets even now
(1850) with aged Africans who possess the elements of classical
instruction, he may salute them ; they are Kigaud's legionaries.
Admirable for good sense, they have a lofty spirit, above the pre-
judices of colour ; with them, the white man, the mulatto, and
the black man are sons of the same father. I thank Heaven that
the epoch of my visit to the district allowed me to shake hands
with these relics of the glory of my country, those old negroes
whose excellence of heart and aptitude of mien Europe is igno-
rant o^ and whose descendants lie under the obligation of justi-
fying the hopes of the friends of equality.'

"♦

• Vie de Touasoint L'Ouyerture, par Saint-Bemy. Paris, 1860, p. 83.

OHAFTER rSL

Toamint beeomes xuMterof a cMlnl pwt liaafc MdMadbgr^ftni «f
emandpation, nor of bribei to kiiBMlf— Btfib Ite Th^gKA, who anadi
isUmd; adds L*OuTertiii« to hit iMnni^ dhMMJoeo flM Spndardiy aad
freedom through fVenelL

After the conquest of Dcmdoii, TocuHuni nuhei oa
lade, which was commanded hj Yemety a amlatto of a iseUe
and distrustful mind HaTing under hia orden * legion oooh
posed of negroes recentlj libenilad, aa wdl dtanipKniyl aa the
battalions of Toussaint, he, in his timidity^ importimed the oon-
mission to send him succours. On the 20th of July, 1795, Pd-
verel wrote him these lines : '* We do not think you a traitor,
but you show not the courage of a republican; if you do not
feel strength enough to die rather than yield, say so frankly; we
can easily find citizens who make no account of death, when the
honour of their country is at stake."

On the morning of the 27th, Toussaint having formed con-
nexions in the place, made an attack on Marmelade. By the
evening, opposition was overcome. Vemet, its commander,
joined his fortimes with those of Toussaint, whose niece he after-
wards married, and rising to the rank of general, died under the
reign of the Haytian king Christophe. Meanwhile the Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Desfoumaux was advancing frt>m Port-au-Prince
against Saint Michel, in the hope of effecting a division in
£Eivour of the French civil authority. The republican troops
suffered a complete defeat. Desfoumaux himself received several
wounds.

Encouraged by the victory, Toussaint advanced and captured
Ennery. Thence he wrote to the inhabitants of Gonaives, lying
on the western shore, to induce them to surrender. A rising
en masse was attempted, and failed. The heads of the population
hastened to take flight by sea.

But Toussaint had not been able sufficiently to protect his

ToussAisT l'ouvxbtube. 79

rear. Hearing that Chanlatte was advancmg from Flaisaiioe
against him, he judged it prudent to retreat. Driven back to
Marmelade, he employed himself in efforts to abate the evils of
the war. Recalling the planters who had taken refuge in the
Spanish territories, he restored to them the possession of their
estates, and so prevented the destitution which the conflict
threatened to produce.

These varieties of success brought no settlement. If the com-
missioners gained an advantage here, a defeat there counter-
vailed its effi^ct. Once more would they try an appeal to the
love of liberty. Accordingly Sonthonax proclaimed at the Cape
universal freedom. Folverel repeated the proclamation at Fort-
au-Frince. Symbolic ceremonies were celebrated on these occi^
sions, which were repeated in various places in which the
authority of the commission still prevailed. The consequent en-
thusiasm was not without some effect. But Toussaint was not
easy to be deceived. The destinies of the republic were, he
knew, imcertain. The fitith of its representatives in Hayti was
worse than doubtful The colonists would be neither gained nor
overcome by an imderstanding with the civil commiasioners. He
had, therefore, no course before him, but to continue &ithful to
the king of Spain. His actual position was the only position he
could hold consistently with his hope of ever achieving the inde-
pendence of his caste. For the complications of the contest he
was not answerable. If, therefore, he now had to defend the
cause of the blacks against blacks themselves, he had no option
but to submit to the painful necessity.

Never, perhaps, did a conflict present more heterogeneous
combinations, or more regrettable collisions. The white republi-
cans of France were arrayed against the white colom'sts of Hayti,
whom they were sent to succour. The black man's hand was
raised against his brother. The mulatto, enemy and friend of
both, was by both distrusted and destroyed. Constituted autho-
rities were in hostility. Bands of injured men seeking redress
assailed each other. Spanish royalty fostered colonial insurrec-
tion. The forces of the country were exhausted in the mutual
and ever-recurring strife. Without unity, and witbo^ t«sq!!&»^

80

the war raged on ereiy aide^ miifinm milj in the uuTend

rayages which it inflicted.

This ruinous complicatkm was to be jet more oompUoated.
Discord threw on the wasted ahona of Hayti another brand.

We have already seen the planters make overtures to Eng-
land. Tn their dissatiBfiustion with France^ thej ren ewed their
application. The Court of St James instructed Williamson,
governor of Jamaica, to lend the required aanstance. In this
appeal, the proprietors of La Grsnde Ansa sent to the goTemor
a treaty, which was accepted. Among the points agreed oi was
that the island should pass into the hands of Britain, and that
its representative should have full power to regulate and govern
the island with a view to its restoration to tranquillity. From
the tenour of this article, and from the express words of others^
the object of the colonists was to turn the power of Great Britain
to account, in order to effect that in which they themselvps had
failed — the humiliation of the mulattoes, and the subjugation
of the blacks. With a view to the occupation of Hayti, Grovemor
Williams, in September, 1793, sent an armed force under Colonel
Whitelocke, which disembarked at J6remie, on the 9th of the
month, and on the 22nd, the harbour of Saint Nicholas was put
into the possession of the English, who, in consequence, held two
important positions in Hayti, the latter at the extremity of the
northern, the other near the extremity of the southern tongue
of its western end. While the military chiefs of the mulattoes,
stood aloof, many of the men of colour, not being soldiers, threw
themselves into the arms of the British ; and Saint Marc, L^ogane;
Le Grand Goave, and many towns of the south, adopted the con-
ditions of La Grande Anse.

While little more than the Capo and Fort-au-Prince remained
in the power of the commissioners, an English fleet anchored
in the liarbour of the last-mentioned city, and demanded its
surrender. This armament received an increase shortly after-
wards. As usual, dissension and treason were at work among
the forces of the authorities. With their aid, the English
effected a landing, and took up a position. The commissioners
fled to JacmeL There they learned that a decree had been passed

TOUSSADTT l'OXTYBBTUBE. 81

againiit them by the national conyention in Paris. They sab-
mitted, and were received as prisoners on board L'Esp^rance.
During the interval, Fort-au-Prince became the scene of new
horrors. The emigrant B^renger, at the head of a legion, took
podsession of the town, and seizing Fort-Joseph, where the whites
had taken refuge who could not find room on board the vessels
in the harbour, he caused them to come forth one by one, and,
as they appeared, he threw them headlong firom the rampart into
the fosse, saying, " Republican, leap down the Tarpeian rock.**
Thus perished two-^md-thirty persons, and but for the orders of
the English general, not one would have been spared.

England had not invaded the French part of Hayti without
having an understanding with Spain. By the convention be-
tween the two parties, it was agreed on that England should
establish its protection over the west and the south, and that
Spain should extend its dominion from the east to the extremity
of the north. Accordingly, while the English invaded the west
and the south, the Spanish invited the Creoles of the north, who
had left the colony, to return and take possession of their pro-
perties. On the fitith of the promises made to them, two hun-
dred colonists quitted the United States, and entered their
homes at Fort Dauphin. Shortly after, Jean Fran9ois, at the
head of a body of negroes, encamped under the walls of that
place. Resistance was not offered, in the persuasion that
they came only to second the operations of the Spaniard& The
next day, after the celebration of mass, those blacks mingled
with Spaniards, having formed themselves into bands, traversed
the streets, and slaughtered every Frenchman they met with, as
'^ enemies of the saints and of kings," — ^to use the words by which
they were encouraged to the butchery by the priests. The mas-
sacre was general ; only fourteen persons escaped.

Meanwhile Rigaud, aided by P6tion and other mulatto chiefs,
attacked the English, and, taking from them L6ogane and
Tiburon, blockaded them in La Grande Anse. Finding the
enemy formidable, Whitelocke endeavoured to bribe Rigaud and
Laveaux, then provisional governor of the colony, into ac-
quiescence, if not submission. The former simply rejected tJb^^^

a

89 a

effnr; the latter refriiecl, ** Tevr being By encBoy doei xiei gr«»
joa tlie right to pat on lae a perwnal iieah ; m aa mdrndhnl
I deAaod aatufiustioB fi»r the iajoty yon keife done bhl*
Lftveauz, beUeving the Cape iaMmibk, took vp his poritioii
at F6rt-de-Paix, which ke faciiiied^ nd under He iralb hnfed
ell the eibrtB of the B n ^ h k ; irlale tkflgr, on tkeir etde, oocn-
pjing the harbour of Suit Nidbokey ewnwended ell the ap-
proadieB to the city 1^ aea^

The Spaniards, maetem of neariy all the nortk, pw aae d Fort*
dfr-Pkiz by knd, and out off tke mppliea of proriaioDi^ ao tiiai
the place underwent the privafeiona of a aege. ^ For wan than
six months,'* wrote Laviawnr, nnder date May 84ih, *^ we kaine
been reduced to six ooncea of bread a day, efieefs aa wd as
men ; bat from the 13th of this month, we hsTe none whaterer,
the uck only excepted. If we had powder, we should have been
eonaoled ; our misery is truly great ; officers and soldiers expe-
rience the greatest privations. We have in our magaxines
neither shoes, nor shirts, nor clothes, nor soap, nor tobacco. The
majority of the soldiers mount guard barefooted, like the
Africans. We have not even a flint to give the men. Notwith-
standing, be assured that we will never surrender, if, indeed, we
shall ever capitulate ; be assured, too, that after us the enemy
will not find the slightest trace of Port-de-Paix. Sooner tlum
be made prisoners, when the balls shall have destroyed every-
thing here, and we have no longer anything to defend, we will
retire, and flying from mountain to mountain, we will fight in-
cessantly until aid comes from France.**

Bravery and determination worthy of a better cause ! The
hope of aid from France proved chimerical, yet the notion helped
to keep the soldiers in the line of duty. Relief indeed, came to
them, but it was firom an unexpected quarter.

Miserably was thisunfortunate island torn asunder by Spaniards,
Frendi, EInglisb, mulattoes, and the blacks ; by monarchists, by
republicans, by sceptics, by Romanists, by fabe friends and true
friends of negro emancipation. A lamentable illustration of the
diversity of these rival interests was presented at Saint Marc.
The same day three flags balanced and negatived each other under

TOUSSUkINT l'outxrtube. 83

the inflaenoe of political breeaes. Four oockades symboliaedfiNir
4i£Bamat aeta of opinioiui : hers were whites who wore the black
cockade ; there other whites who wore the white cockade; while
the nralattoes wore the red cockade; and some soldiers wore the
tri-€oloured cockade.

About this time mej be dated the final change which the
name of Tonsaamt underwent by recerving the addition of
L^OuTertnre. L'OuTerture is & French word whu^ sigpaifies
ths opet&iinffi. The somame is said to have been given as indicsr
tive of the opening which Toossaint had made for himself in
the ranks and the possessions of the eaemj. If this was its
origin, the name is appropriata Though not always successfnl,
he rushed on his foes with an impetus which mowed down
opposition. With poetic licence, Lamartine, in his drama^ makes
the designation — derived, according to him, from L'AurorCy
Zhy-break — to have been given to Toussaint by a monk, who
thus intimated to him that he was to be the morning-star of a
new era in HaytL

Vn jour, nn oqniom, uade oei peinnes ptooi,

Colpozteun de U fiii, dont lei noira loiit las fkkna,

En Tenant risiter Tatelier de Jacmel,

S'siT^ta derant mm oomme un autre SamneL

Quel eat ton nom P TooMaint. Pauvie mangeiir d'igname,

C'eatlenomde ton carpi; maia le nom de ton 4oi%

CTeat Auzore, dit-iL O mon pire^ et de quoi P

I>tt jour que Bieu prepare et qui ae lore en toil

£t lea noira iguoraute, depuia oette aTentore^

Sn coRon^ant ce nom m'appeDant L'OuTertase.*

A third explanation has been given. According to Pamphile

de LacrQix,f Toussaint assumed the epithet, in order to announce

to his peo]^ that he was about to open the door to them of a

better friture. In this view his name became a token of his

object. That object he was too prudent to make known in the

early period of his efiSorts. Now, however, might he make the

announcement without serious risk. The event justified his

conduct. That event would be aided forward by the name. The

■ " Touaaaint L'Ourerture," Poem Dramaitiqae^ par A. Do Lamartine. Aet m,
aeane2.

t " Mdmoires de Saint Dominique," toL i. p. SOS.

o2

opnM^msbefbrathBBigfaw. "Whmatm Ht^mw Tomm/a^
thej were reminded of Htmaptm^; vhnnvrttij jnao^Mii
hamuoB, the; wen cooongBd to adiBaM tonnrd Ibsoparii^

There wu the door ; tfasf b^ od^ to bs Ud Bad ate ik to k*
desired t«mple of freedooi.

TooaMunt L'OnTcrture hid lutuiuid to hk ■'"i i tlnin ebea)^
hold, MarmitUde, wfawe ha fixad hk haad qnnitow. Ftam
. that pUoe u a oentr^ he t ui Tqy wl th« nAoln iehad, lAiA to ft
gredt extent he now held nadw hit dctoimtiop. ftliMiTj lln
■hepherd-bo7 had hecome % potefttatfti It wm * time not o^r
for repoae, hut for the ende M nnanti at honeL Ann tha ttes ait
his entering the mxyian ol ^win, he had noorad Ua vib
from the theatre of war. He hiisnlf coadwetod bar to tts
mountain fostneu of 8t Miguel; and ftr aeren '~— tV ba
had not been able to pay her a visit. Kind-hearted as he wa^
how must he have been moved, when now, afW unexpected
triumphs, he found his wife and children in safety. His entianoa
into the place was an o^ion. The commander, in a tralj
Spanish fashion, ordered, among other tokens of rejoicing, bnU-
fi^ts, in honour of the victor. Toussaint L'Ouverture had
gained the esteem as well as the confidence of his Spanish
masten. Imprened with his respect for religion, as well as the
general probity of his character, the Marquis Hermona, nndor
whose orders he was, exclaimed, on seeing him take the commn-
nion : — " No, Qod cannot, in this lower world, visit a purw
aouL" Thus esteemed by the Spaniards, feared by the EngUsI^
dreaded by the French, hated by ibe planters, and reverenced
by the negroes, Toussaint L'Ouverture &lt that a crisis had come
in his public life, which required the calmest cousidwation and
the soundest judgment. His achievements, his personal influ-
ence, and the condition of the conflicting parties, combined to
show him the opening door, if only he had wisdom and strength
to take the right path. What was that path! The ooloniats
were all but deprived of power for harm. The molattoee had
DO organization. The English held only a point or two of the
country. From the colonists and the men of colour little, very
little, was to be feai«d ox hoped. The n^roes had learnt tbo

TOUBSAIKT L'OUVEBTURE. 85

secret of their power. This result, if no other satis&ctory result,
had ensued from the conflict. On them might Toussaint
L*Ouyerture now place great reliance. If they were not already
good soldiers, they had performed great things, and gave pro-
mise of soon being able both to deser\'e and achieve independence.
But was their emancipation to be gained through Spain ? Spain
was powerful in Hayti ; was its power likely to conduce to the
opening 1 On the contrary, Spain was opposed to emancipation.
Her power, then, was power adverse to the great object of
Toussaint UOuverture's life. What did fidelity to thac object
demand? Before the question could be answered, another
element of thought had to be weighed. France in Hayti was in
a miserable condition. Should she be crushed? If she was
crushed, the alternative lay between the slave-dominion of
England and the slave-dominion of Spain. But though France
was depressed, oould she be crushed? Her arms were trium-
phant in Europe, and a strong effort to rescue her favourite
colony might reasonably be expected. The present depression
was such as to call for gratitude towards any effectual helper.
The possible continuance of the depression gave assurance of the
probability that, even in opposition to France, still more in con-
jimction with France, the independence of the negroes — ^if not
the independence of the island — might be achieved. Why,
then, not seek '^ the opening*' in union with France 1 The dis-
position implied in the question was confirmed by a recent
decree of the French legislature (Feb. 4, 1794) which, declaring
Hayti an integral part of France, confirmed and proclaimed the
freedom of all the slaves. This was a very grave act; an act
of the mother country, not a mere device of a local commissioner;
this was a deliberate and solemn recognition of the very object
of Toussaint*s life, not a trick in war for the very purpose of
frustrating that object. And this step was taken when, to
some extent, the days of French republican weakness had given
place to days of strength, and when the name of republican
France had begun to become a terror in the world. Hence,
many things pointed to a coalition with France— her weakneas,
her power, her liberality. Alliance, too, with b;^ «»ssfidA >^&fo

86

natnnJ course. IndepondeBoe bj Imt, witk lier, and
ally — if it might be — without her, imnolviad the intr o d ap fc ion «f
no foreign element into the Heytaa woM, ; no new lengneg^^
no strange costoms end nnaiweptelile meonara. A F^ranek
oolonj would still remaiii canmtiallj FmdcIl Old itM^yi would
remain in honour; old obaervanoes woidd not be tnunqaled en;
old asBodatioBB would net be disngazded or broken up. Sipe-
dally would religion romain unnynxed and unchanged. H^rti
was a Catholic island, and VmkM was a Gatlnlio eosntrf.
Touasaint UOuverture, too^ was a Bineeie Oatholic Urijflw
oonaiderations, always p o iw afu l with him, aee m to have va-
ceiyed special attention, and had ipecial wa|^ in this joMtaKL
The Abb6 de la Haie was his adviaer. The mne eleigTBan
went between him and Laveaux. At length, a diatinct offer
was made by the French commander. Touasaint UOuverture
accepted tJte opening.

In this important step, he was doubtleas influenced by a con-
sideration derived from his actual position. He was surrounded
by violent men. He was, in some sort, under the control of
violent men. Certainly, he was intimately allied with men of
colour by whom, or with whom, negro emancipation could net
be wrought out. Of these fiurtA he, about this time, was made
painfully aware. His superior in command, Jean Fran^ois^
quarrelled with Biassou. Over the latter, Toussaint, as the former
knew, possessed great influence. Choosing to implicate Tnniiinl
in the quarrel, Jean Fran^oitt committed him to prison. By
Biassou, he was delivered. The hazard had been great. He who
could incarcerate might tday. A second peril of the kind waa
not to be thought of; therefore, the great, the flnal step must he
taken. Having adopted precautions for the safety of Ins fiunily,
he made his military arrangements with skill, end carried them
into effect with success. He then proclaimed universal liberty
in all the districts under his inflnence. On the 4th of
May, he pulled down the Spanish and hoisted the French fli^
wherever he was in power. Fright and confusion prevailed
among the fipaniank. Joy agitated the bosoms of the nejgrosa.
JSetoAy all the north retnmed to their allpgUiMia to Franoe.

TOUSSADTT l'OUVSBTURE. 87

CHAPTER X.

TouMoint defeats the fipaniiih ptrtaffiiiM By extraardiiuur7 excrikmi niaoi tad
disciplines troops, fonns armies, lajs out campaigns, executes the jsost
daring exploits, and defeats the English, who eracoate the island — ^Toossaint

ToussAnn* L'Ouvebture's accession to the cause of France was
followed by brilliant exploits. Bigaud suddenly feU on L^Qgane,
which had been surrendered to the English, and with a very in-
confdderable loss carried the place, though it had been strongly
fortified. Among the booty were twenty thousand pounds of
powder, eight of which he sent to Laveaux, who, with his fellow-
combatants in Port-de-Faix, hailed the capture of L6ogane with
shouts of delight.

Toussaint now came into collision with Jean Fran9ois, his
former commander. He took from that Spanish allyall his posts^
and drove him westward into La Montaigne Noire. Hastening
into the valley of the Artibonite, Toussaint attacked the English,
and, capturing several towns, fell on Saint Marc, the seat of the
"Ri^gliah power. Sitting down to besiege the city, he got pos-
session of two important posts. In one of these, Mome-Diamant,
he raised a battery which riddled the place. Then, while aiding
the men to mount a gun, he crushed his left hand. He waa
c(»npelled to resign the conduct of the attack to others. The
consequence was injurious. Besides, his forces wece insuffi-
ciently provided with ammunition. He was forced to retire.
This partial failure occasioned perfidy in some of his fbroee^
to which he himflfllf nearly fell a victim. Thus, while he had to
Tnn.iTifAin an Open warfare against Spain and England, he had
also to guard agaLost the treacheiy which those powers did not
disdain to set im motion anumg his own adherents.

^Betiring^ as was his custom, to the mountain fastrifmann, of
which Marmelade may be conwdered as the oentie, he ooUected

88

forces, and on the 9tli of Oetobar, 17H qnMei flirt jhm «l

iheheadof nearly five thooMBidiiMO^ and lAsracNMBi^ n»>
ceaaeBy carried San Miguel by Anchi.

This exploit raised bim ld|^ in the eathnatiop. cf Hia JraBieli
commanders. Laveanx and Bigaod uniled in their eokgiai

of the skill and prowess lie iMidmaniferted. An intenriewtool:
place between Layeanx and TonsMiiit st Dondon. Tbia wm
the first time they had seen eadb otber. Tnwsssint pveaoiied to
the general-in-chief his princqpaloffioeii ; DwMneSj oonmandsr
of San Mignel, Dum^nil, commaader of FUaaace^ Dearonkana^
Cleireaox, Maurepas, kc^ omnmanders of battalioiis.

Toussaint L'Ouvertore bad abrea^y become a gveai povpsr*
Very considerable inflnnnoe did be eouri in tbis cop ft wiifla «f
French authorities.

Raised to this eminence, and now seeing ^' the opening" in
clear outline before him, Toussaint was inde&tigable. Such was
the rapidity of his movements, and at so many different places
was he seen near the same moment, that he seemed, especially in
the eyes of the ignorant negroes, as if he was superior to time and
space. Specially was he found at every post of imminent dan-
ger. His energy and his prowess made him the idol of bis
troops. They also caused him to be dreaded by his enemies. He
was no longer a leader of insurgents, but a commander of an
army. He gave over marauding expeditions to lay out and con-
duct a campaign.

His immediate aim was to drive the English out of the island,
and for that purpose, to make himself master of the port of Saint
Marc Coming down from the mountains with this view, he
found that the English conmiander, Brisbane, had advanced into
the interior of the valley of the Artibonite, and, taking Lea
Y6rettes, had compelled his troops to retire. One small position
alone held out against Brisbane. Toussaint determined to make
one of those efforts which he so well knew how to direct, and
by which he sometimes effected at a blow very great re-
sults. Starting forward in the night early in December, with
a band of three hundred cavalry, he by ambuscade and sudden
attack, drove the enemy back in disgrace.

TOUSSAINT L^OTTyEBTURE. 89

As yet, however, he had not strength enough to hold the
Tallej of the Artibonite, especiallj as Jean Fran9oi8, with his
Spanish sympathies, was impending over it in order to assist the
English. He withdrew towards the north. Before he left La
Petite Kividre for Gonaives, which is in that direction, he gave
a proof of the humanity by which he was actuated. In the vil-
lage of La Petite Kivi^re, there were children and women of
different colours who were destitute of the means of subsistence.
Two sisters of charity who had come hither firom the quarters
occupied by the English, ministered to others even in their own
need. At the command of L*Ouverture bread was day by day
supplied to these sufferers, and to the most wretched of them
money also was distributed.

Returning with almost the speed of lightning to Marmelade,
he set about organising a sufficient force to clear the district of
La Grande Rividre and its heights, which lie above Saint Marc,
of the bands of Jean Franqois. Setting in movement four
columns, he quitted Dondon in the centre of the forces on the
31st of December. In four days he took and destroyed twenty-
eight positions. That of Barmby, situated on a frightful preci-
pice, and defended by three pieces of cannon, besides fire-anns,
was carried by the mere force of resolute bravery. Had his plan
been carried into effect in all points, the insurrection would have
been suppressed. It failed in one point ; and so gave a passage
to Jean Francois, who, passing through it with superior forces,
surrounded Toussaint L'Ouverture. Disappointed, that brave
man cut a way through his enemies, and after establishing a
cordon of great extent, returned to his stronghold, Dondon, on
the 7th of January, 1795.

The cordon of the west, which Ouverture commanded, had for
its eastern extremity La Grande Riviere, in the centre of the
department of the north, and for its western limit La Saline, in
the plain of the Artibonite, in the department of the west, and
extending above ninety leagues, comprised the following import-
ant posts : Saint Raphael, Saint Miguel, Dondon, Marme-
lade, and Gonaivea This vast space of country Toussaint
L*Ouverture defended for a long time against the English, the

b, and ■gaiju'it French emigisnts, with troopn buU^ aimod,
b*dl7disci|iUB<vl. atnl little ncntsUitaeii to iailitw7 u
Pu» Mgia fitct i» LiTJdBMi at Ui f " '

corregpondence, which ha alwi
r«t7 MedfU too, WM it tk* ha Atwll 4» hk wtanrt to «b-
emmge Uw caltiratian at the Iwtda, leat fwori a oai Aoald &il
his troopt, or fuoine try fbe fiddit? of titt people. Nor w«s
tte msiitUBaBae of discipline in hMidi euck m kis an «My office
or a rii^t U»o^. He aeoomplislied ihe ttA, hawKvtr, bf •
general conse of ooosidersiiati and TniWhuiM as wefi as by stem
aererity towaiJ the disobedient.

Kesawlule tbe Id^ of Spain oeded to f^anee all kis pussm
siniB aad rights ia Hi^ti The o cMai oM iwflaTaed llie hopes of ,

the J^igliJi jTTii ■(. wbo, laBsglving to tey a Istit sftst, satrt,

mtder Oeneral Howe, an asny at tbree thoasand ncn, tegatbcr
wM a Scot »ftd«r Admiixl Parker.

Lsveaax had Ukn into peril IniAigaied by jealon^, BigsBd
and TiDate, anethv nan of eolour, arrested G«aMral Iavsmix
and tfcrow kim into pnaoa. l^iia attempt to set up a nralslitit
domination wu overcome by TousHaint. Gtajoetai tar tke lerne^
Iatsssuc sppotntad Tiiswiid his neond in the gonranunent of
the idaad of Hayti, «nd H tlte prodamatins which be thne^toa
issiMd, dechred him to be that BparUcna, fanbold by BayMl,
whose destiny it was to avenge the o uUsgm ioiUeted oft all bis
raee; and whon be nt fartit as the Tindicator of tbeecmstitHted
aaUMsiti^ addii^ Ibt in tatatM nothkig dunld be aW^pted
except in onecat with him, and by bis ooaacala. This nmsni-
atiou flf ToosBsaat in the gorcnuBent sensibfy MMwded the dia-

TOUSSAIHT L*OUYEBTUBE. 91

pomtion of the blacks, who now began to have some confidence
in their white guperiors, and in consequence were, in large num-
bers, prepared to obey.

Sonthonax having overcome his enemies in France, returned
to Hayti, at the head of a commission of whioh Eonme
was the other important member. The commissioners fcnmd
the colony in a condition approaching to prosperity. Instead of
profiting by the fftvourable dispositions that prevailed, and the
special good feeling with which he was received, Sonthonax pre-
ferred stirring men^s passions afresh. He had formed the
project of bringing the men of colour under subjection by the
power of the law. In order to effect his purpose, he, ostensibly
to reward Toussaint UOuverture for the conduct he had pur-
sued in the recent troubles, appointed that distinguished man
general of division. These measures irritated Kigaud, the cham-
pion of the nmlattoes, who saw, with extreme jealousy, the
bladL chief elevated to a rank superior to his own. Obeyed
over almost all the south, Kigsud was deaf to overtures
made to him on the part of the commissioners, and in discon-
tent withdrew to Tiburon.

Touissant UOuverture was not a man to lose time. Aware of
the reinforcements the English had received, he hastened to the
seat of war in the west, and having driven back Colonel Bri»-
bane, who had invaded La Petite Rivi^, he pushed forward to
Saline, near Cronaives, which the English had set on fire, and
on the shore near which they had efiected a landing. The
English were on the point of advancing, when Touasaint appeared.
Putting himself at the head of the cavalry, he fell on the
EbgUfih at Onildive, and directing the charge in his own person,
he compelled them to re-embark in oonfiiaion, with the loss of their
standards, their baggage, and their cannon. Toussaint received
injuries in the conflict, but Brisbane was mortaUy wounded.
The victorious soldiers, having their mus&ets crowned with
laurels, wers received in Gonaives in the midst of the accla-
mations of the people.

The influence of Toussaint L^Ouverture grew eveiy day.
Almost at will, he drew the negroes round his banners, and

92

redaced them into disoiidiDa. He also dflteohed from Urn
Englifth ooloors bands which tlugr had takoa into their pi^.
Applying himself to maiten connected with the genenJ adminia>
tration of the colony, he pat on a firm footing the pitMperiij
which had begun to appear. He applied fab power qteciallf
to the restoration of the cnltiue of the soil ; wiaelj dedaring^
that the liberty of the blacks could be consolidated only bj the
prosperity of agricultuie. This important avennent^ qmading
among the black chieft, awoke in them the desire to aoqpira
and to conserve property.

While the Engli^ had great difficulty to stmgg^ against the
French arms in the west, they wers vigoroiisly p re ssed bj
Desfonmeaux in the north. Four columns surroonded the
heights of Yalli^re, where the enemy, with the aid of some detach-
ments, kept up what they called ^' La Vendue of Saint Domingo.**
Henry Christophe, aflcrwards King of Hayti, poweriiilly con-
tributed to the success of this expedition. In the south,
Kigaud assumed the offonsive. na\'ing strongly fortified Les
Gayes, he marched to attack Foi-t-au-Prince. He met with a
resistance so vigorous, so brave, and so well-conducted that
any but a very superior man must have perished. In a sally
made by Colonel Markham, at the head of a thousand men, his
outposts were carried, aud his head-quarters plundered. The
rout was becoming general, when Rigaud, though urged to
save his life by flight, leaped on his horse, and rallying fifty
men, threw himself on the English occupied in pillage, and put
many of them to the sword. The plunder was recovered, and
Markham, forced to beat a retreat, fell pierced with balls.

UOuverture, not slow in sustaining the efforts of Kigaud, sat
down before Saint Marc with teh thousand men. Thrice did
he assail the town in vain. After prodigies of valour, he was
compelled to retire.

Unwilling to derive no advantage from his exertions, Toussaint
determined to rescue Mirebalais out of the hands of the Spaniards^
by whom it was held. At his voice, the population rose
in a mass, and, with his assistance, made him master of the
district.

T0U8BAINT l'oUYSBTUBB. 93

Mirebalais was a most important post Lying in the moun-
tains on the north-east corner of the western department, the
district so called consisted of gorges, steeps, and narrow passes^
which made almost eveiy part of it a Thermopylae. The village
of Saint Louis, also called by the name of the district, commands
an immense extent of level country. Favourable to animal life
in general, the countiy abounds in superior horses. A skilful
commander, possessed of Mirebalais, therefore, might almost defy
attack, and at his pleasure sally forth to wage war in almost
any part of the island.

The English, aware of the importance of this position, resolved
to get it into their hands. They succeeded in the bold under-
taking.

The loss was too heavy to be endured. L*Ouverture, as
soon as other 'duties permitted, made arrangements for the
recovery of Mirebalais. He was not in time, however, to prevent
the occupants from covering it with fortifications. The command
of the district had been entrusted to a French emigrant,
the Count de Bruges, whose forces amounted to two thousand
English troops of the line, besides a numerous militia. On the
24th of March, 1797, Toussaint L*Ouverture, by means of his
lieutenant, Momey, intercepted the high road leading into the
country, and encamping at Block-haus du Gros Figuier, repeUed
Montalembert, who was advancing into Mirebalais with seven
hundred men and two pieces of artillery. The next day, Tous-
saint drove the English from all their possessions, and completing
the investment of the village, ordered, on the south, the attack
of the forts. With such unity of operation, and such impetu-
osity of assault was the attack made, that the whole was carried.
Conflagration completed what the fire-arms left unsubdued.
Toussaint L*Ouverture passed from eminence to eminence, and
surveyed his troops victorious on all sides. A yet more pleasing
sight to him was that which he had when he set at liberty two
hundred prisoners of all hues who were suffering under
a d^rading punishment, and who every moment expected a
horrible death from the flames which were approaching the place
of their detention.

94 nn iiR «r

Parsning his advBnta^Bii UOaFertiiVB^ m ft flmpftigB of firar-
teen days, totally defeated the ftigiwh, and iwoaghfe under obedi-
ence the entire jvovinoe. Among hla qiofla were eleven
of camTuwi, with their ainmanition» and two handled
Ab his recompence, Tonanint U Omerim e reoeiTed from Son*
thoDax the appointmo&t of oonuBander-in-ehief of the acmjr of
Saint Domingo, vacant by the departue of LaToany, The
eonqnering hero was inatalled at the CSape in the p i ow nee efthe
garrison, composed of black troopa^ and the remaina of the white
troopH. These are the words which he employed on the ooca-
aion : — *' Citizen ComrnkMonera^ I accept the emincat rank to
which you have jost raiMd me, only in the hope of more anrely
succeeding in entirely extirpating the enemies of Saint Domingo^
of contributing to its speedy restoration to p rosperity , and of
securing the happiness of its inhabitants. If to fulfil the diffi-
cult task which it imposes, it sufficed to wish the good of the
island, and to effect it, in all that flepends on me, I hope that,
with the aid of the Divine Being, I shall succeed ; the tyrants
are cast down on the earth ; they will no more defile the places
where the standard of liberty and equality ought to float alone,
and where the sacred rights of man ought to be recognised.

'^ Officers and soldiers, if there is a compensation in the severe
labours which I am about to enter on, I shall find it in the satis-
fieu^tion of commanding brave soldiers. Let the sacred fire of
liberty animate us, and let us never take repose until we have
prostrated the foe.**

Lofly now was the position of Toussaint L*Ouverture. Glad
was his heart. His joy did not arise from his own personal
elevation. It is true that he had created an army which could
beat European tix)opfl, and expel them from even the strongholds
of Hayti. It is true that in his deeds and warlike achievements
he had eqiudled the great captains of ancient and modem timea.
But he had not fought for his own aggrandisement; he had done
all with a view to an ultimate object. And now that object
seemed within his reach. The emancipation of his race was
accomplished, therefore did Toussaint rejoice. ''The opening**

ToussAarr l'ouyibtube. 95

was made; what xemained to be done waa detail Alas ! such
were the af^pearaaoefs but the ai^peanncea jMroved deluaioiiB.

The achieyeiBeiit juat set forth gave ih^ final bk>w to the
war. No longer could the English do more than marntaJB a
desultory ooaflict with scarcdj any hope of fiaal anoceaa^ what-
ever temponzy advantages they aiight gHa. When all bvt
rdieved tern a foieigii enemy, the French aatheritieB b^an to
disagree amoi^ themselves. The particulars are too tedious to
be repeated. From the colony appeals were made to the kgis-
Isture in Paria The oommissioiier Sonthonaz, fearing impeach-
ment, requested to be sent home as a deputy finom the colony.
If at first sineere, he seems afterwards to have vacillated. Toua-
saint, however, oonvineed that his absence would be conducive
to the restoration of harmony and the elective prosecution of
hostilities^ took measures that his request should not fiul of eSecti,
But Toossaint, victorious and powerful in the colony, had reascm
to fear the result of intrigiMs and plots against himself m the
mother comtry. As a pledge of his honoiir and a t<^en of cxmr
fidence, he sent his two sons to France for their education. On
their part the English, sufienng greatly firom the dimat^ and
Tnftlrfng no pTogress towards the sulijugation of the ialandy
employed the utmost of their power to seduce the hostile kadera.
Havii^ with little satis£ftction to themselves attempted to secure
the mulatto interest, they made the hM attempt of seducing
Toussaint L'Ouverture himself. Little knowing the character
of the man with whom they dealt, they offered as the i)rice of
his subserviency the title of King of Hayti The incorrupti<m
of Toussaint on the occasion was the more remarkable and
worthy, as (General H^ouville, sent after the departure of
Sonthonax as the representative of France, treated him with leas
consideration than was deserved by the man to whom that
country owed the restoration of its colony. Toussaint had,
indeed, become too powerful perhaps for France, certainly for
its deputy H^douviDe. In his anxiety to disembarrass himself
of the black chief, that general, by means of his creatures, tried
to induce him to embark for the mother country, in order to

plnd his <xaae and fnanrtriw Ui i

Innd to ft upling which gnnr bov--" I vlB gi^" ka nl^ "i^Ht

/T> that branch ahall fiom a thhI «f —fc if t riw to OB^ ■•

^ ihitber-

DuringtbeM nnh^ipj dMwn^ OtSk^ithlMl benk^
ground. Worn down KoA dkpittttd, tlMf xt l^ftt h«^ to
take decided sUipe for th» wioMtiiM ot ^ idnd. b A*
ni^otiations mnd meMoni lAiA tUa inTolrcd, tb* pdwdaa ia4
diatnuta of the Frendi tttOaMm diiplagrai Int toe itao^^
^eir evil eflecta. Port-aw-Ftinoe, bowmr, WM aBinaafaii Ij
the Engliah, who ihortij' aftenrnda ixmd ft pntet to fton
the M6Ie Saint-Nicboha in the handi <£ the TiwA Bto-
aatisfied with the atipskUana B»de hjr HMnnflK IbWiAto
repaired to SunthHarc, and took into hn own haada the e eB le -
ment of the temu of d^italatioa. Kot ^et wholly without
hope of winning over to Engliah views their most fbnnidaUe
oi^Kment, the Ibgliah by their repreaentative, Oenend Haitland,
rendered the higheat honoiUH to TouaMtint L'Oavertnre. The
attempt met with deserved &ilnre. Tonsaaint could see throogfa
the covered deaigna of hia old foes. He had no &ith that the
freedom of his race would enaue from Engliah domination ; and
he knew that their eqoalitjr before the law had been reoc^iaed
by France. Faithfiil to hia great idea and final demgn, h«
remained superior to the blandishments of English wealth and
adulation. After endnring ao many btignes and acquiring ao
much glory, L'Ouvertare retired into the interior of Uie Arti-
bonite, and took up his abode on the estate called Deachanx,
which was aituated in the mountains. There be flattered himself
with the hope of some repoee, and there, keeping an E^e over the
great centres of social movement, he could at any moment, like
the eagle, descend to any part where hia presence was required.

TOUBSAINT l'OUTEBTUBB. 97

CHAPTER XI.

Toimaint L*Ouverture oomposet agitation, and brings back proeperitj — If
opposed by the Commissioner, HMouville, who flics to Franco — Appeals, in
self-justification, to the Directory in Paris.

Haviko reached the commandiDg position which he held, To^is-
sainc L*Ouyerture, with a true patriotism and a wise benevo-
leuce, applied himself to the difficult task of healing the wounds
of his country. The first task was to induce the planters to
resume possession of their estates, and re-commence the tillage
of the soil. This he efiected in part by persuasion, in part by
gentle compulsion ; numerous detachments of infantry, traversing
the cities, collected together the scattered owners and conducted
them to the plantations. The conduct of the troops employed
in the service was as worthy of notice as the obedience of
the agriculturists; for, observing the strictest discipline, they
showed the greatest respect to property, and conducted them-
selves towards all with becoming moderation and mildness.
The control over these rude natures which this temperance
implied, was the result of the discipline instituted by Toussaint,
and of the love and the fear which his name inspired. Among his
signal triumphs this was, perhaps, the most signal. Not by
blacks only, but by whites, was this extraordinary man obejed.
Obedience secured Toussaint*s protection. Begardless of the
colour of the skin, he received with favour, and treated with
confidence, and promoted with readiness, all whom he had valid
reasons for believing sincerely bent on advancing the public good.
Disdaining to govern by the rivalry of classes, he aimed to serve
the whole, by the means and with the aid of each. Emigrant or
Creole, black or white, men were treated by him as men ; being
placed in the posts for which they were fitted, whether military
or civiL If there was a difference in his conduct towards
dependents, that difierenoe was not in favour of white men.
The injured, he rightly judged, had the first claim to his Q.ttAiCk-

H

tioiL GeneriLtly. however, bis adrntEiistratioD was impartial,
•ererely imjiartitil.

It scarcely nwd be abided tliat he grew in imiverRoJ estimaliou.
lUspected liy iiiiii in general, his influt-nee becnme immcnso,
and even thi' {•.■ar or liistrust which was st'cretly nouriubcd
agtuut him br imtae, "kob an ackuowlcdgmeait of his power.
Under Tous-<aiiit's benign swaj, parties began to melt KWay,
and heart-bni-niu,i,'s lo cease- An unqualified amnesty, whidi he
procUimed, tr;in({uillized men's minds, and reconciled them tu
the existing stiiU' of things.

Sor did the victorious general forget the All-pow«riul Ann
to which he knew that he owed his triumph, and by whoso aid
only, he ww e<qually asituml, he oould finish the work hn had
fatgon and so fur acrompli^hed.

Bnt the governor dis^praved of L'Onvortnre'B polii^.
Whether from a difference of viev, or frvm Riqiecting Tooaaaint
of ambitious designs, H^douville, though a profeBsed RepobBcau,
cbaracteriied his administration as "too mild and too fall at
reaults." Never having behaved towards the ne^ro captain with
fiordiali^, he now conveyed to Toussaint's eais words of opea.
eomplaint and covert blame. Toussaint was not to be tamed
from a conrw which he had deUberately ad<q>t«d, and found to
be most hen^ciaL Afraid lest H6doaviUe's power woold
intorapt that course, or abate its good, be issued jn«elamatiM»
to bis troops — hia chief bajoa of reliance — in order to oonfinn.
them in their obedience by the strongeat of ties, namely, ths
religious ties to which their sosceptiblQ and impulnve natnm
made them peculiarly sensible. "This," said he, " is the path
which we must all follow, in order to draw down upon us the
bleaaing of the Lord. I hope you will never depart bom it,
and that yon will punctnally execute what follows : —

" The head.<i of raiments are required to see that the trot^
join in prayer morning and evening, aa far as the aervioe will

"At the earliest review, the Oenerala Commanding- in-chic^
will cause high maai to be celebrated and a Te Denm to be
wang in all the plaoea of their sevenl diatanoti^ aa an expwBon

TOUSSAIHT l'OUVBXTURE. 99

of gratitude to Heaven fi>r having vouchsafed to direct our last
campaigns; for having caused the evacuation of the enemy to
take place without efl^ision of blood ; for having protected the
return amongst us of many thousand men of every colour, who
till then had been lost ; and, finally, for having restored to the
labours of agriculture more than twenty thousand hands. The
Te Dewn will be announced by a salvo of twenty-two pieces of
cannon."

Under the effects of words so religious and so just, the credit
of H6douville was greatly lessened ; in proportion as L'Ouverture
gained ascendancy, he sank, until he retained among hb sup*
porters only those who were immediately around him, such as
his officials, Frenchmen who were foreigners in the colony, and
others who, firom personal connexions with the mother country,
desired to maintain its power in the hands of its agenta

The contrast was made greater by the diverse course pursued
by the two in regard to the cultivators of the soiL While
H6douville unconditionally declared all the blacks free, Tou&-
saint wisely prefixed to their actual freedom a kind of appren-
ticeship for five years, on condition of their receiving one-fourth
of the produce, out of which the masters were to defray the
cost of their subsistence. The plan of the governor, speciously
designed to catch the popular breeze, would have issued in
universal disorder. Instead of immediate emancipation, always
pregnant with present and future disasters, Toussaint interposed
a period of preparation, and in so doing, saved the property of
the masters, as well as promoted the interests of the servants.
So wise and moderate a use of his triumph and his power pro-
bably saved Hayti from the terrors of a universal convulsion,
and certainly raised him to a high position in the respect of all
impartial and judicious men.

H6douville, aware to what an extent he had lost the public
confidence, took measures for provoking a movement contrary
to Toussaint among the men of colour. Kigaud he accordingly
invited to the seat of . government. As a cover, he invited
Toussaint also to take part in the conference. But the negro
chief was as wary as he was bold ; and he may have hfissd^t^Vok*

h2

100

THE LIPE or

■ome time proviouHlr officers of HCtlouviltc's etnfi had offered to
wise hia pers'Dii, if only their mastur would put four brHve
xidicn Kt their dLspi^L

BniMJiiing at Port-ftu-Priuc«, Totisaaiut was mformed that
Rigand was on bis way to the Cape. The commander of that
plaoc^ «nd nrei-al black officers, advised Toiutsaint to intercept
uid ^prehend Rigaiid. " I could," he replied, " e&sil; do ao ; but
God forbid. I have ne«d of Kigaud. He is violent. I wmut
Itim for carrying nn war; and that war is aecesearj to me.
The mulatto caste ia superior to mj- own. If I take Ri^tid
from them, tlie}* would perhaps fiud another Huperior to him.
I know Rig&ud ; he givM u[> the bridle when he gallops ; he
■howB his arrn when he atrikca. For me, I ^Uop also ; but I
faiow where to stop ; and when I strike, T am full, not seen.
H. Rigaud can conduct insarrectiona only by blood and maa-
ncres; I know how to put the people in movement; but when
I appear, all most be tnmquil."

A general feeling of uneasineSB spread abroad. Fear began
to prevaiL A counter-revolution seemed at hand. The blacks
were nneaay, estpecially thoee who had oompromiaed themselTce
in taking part with the English. The mulattoea were r^arded
with alarm. In Fort-Sunt-Dauphin, a r^ment ran to arms,
deelaring that the whites wished to restore slavery. A combat
took place between the black troope aod the white troops. The
former being beaten, spread over the open country, which tbey
raised oa all ndeft. Then, once more, conflagration committed
its ravages. Many unfortunate whites, taken by surprise on
their estates, were slaughtered. The insurgents marched to the
Cap& Toussaint hastened to the seat of the insurrection. The
blacks were raging as in former days. Suddeuly their chief
speared, and all was peacefuL Undertakiug to be the exponent
of their griefs, he led them to Cape City. The moment he
arrived there, the alarm was given by the authorities, who seem
to have desired a rencontre. The troope were assembled, but
the efibrt proved nugatory. By little and little, the soldiers
deserted their pouts when they knew that Toussaint was at
liand. K£douvjlle, failing in his coup tfital, embarked to retmn

ToussAnnr l'ouvektu&e. 101

to France. From on board the ship he published a proclamation^
in which, being no longer able to profit by the prejudices of
colour, he sought his account by appealing to national jealousies,
and declared that Toussaint L*Ouverture was sold to the English.

The movement was at an end. The plotter was on his way
back to France, and the regenerator of his country found him-
self in a fireer field, and possessed of augmented resources. No
less single than pure in his aims, Toussaint L*Ouverture rose in
general regard and public confidence, even by the contrarieties
which the Governor had thrown in his way. By the failure of
the recent plot, too, the mulatto interest, considered as hostile
to the interest of other classes, received a heavy blow.

As soon as General H^douville had set sail, the blacks were
not only tranquil, but obedient to the eye and the finger of
their chief Every one silently resumed his habitudes. The
most perfect calm succeeded the most raging tempest. A
Te Deum was chanted, and the name of Toussaint L*Ouverture
was mingled with the Hallowed Name in the uttered gratitude
of thousands. Toussaint was not insensible to the homage, and
he desired the complete accomplishment of his mission. But he
had seen the edifice he had so carefully and painfully raised,
put in danger with only too much facility. The mulatto party,
though weakened, were still powerful At their head was
Bigaud, who had not shown himself averse to the designs of
his caste. Toussaint dreaded a collision. Possibly he himself
was a hindrance to a peaceful and permanent settlement. En-
tertaining no merely personal objects, he gave utterance to a
desire to be relieved of his weighty responsibilities. At a
moment when, by a bold stroke, he might have set up a throne,
and perhaps established a dynasty, he asked for his dismissal.
The word called forth a universal remonstrance. The civil
and the military authorities, the white, black, and brown
inhabitants, the proprietors and the labourers, all combined in
laying before him formal addresses, in which they entreated him
to remain, to iise their own terms, 'Hheir fsither and their
benefiMstor."

But there was a court of appeal Before that tribunal

lOS TBR UFK or

H6dcnivill« would ^pou- with aiiigukr advantage. Touanint
knew the disparit j of his means fur obtaining a &ir hearing,
hot he naolvc-ii to emploj siich as imrc at bis command.
Acoordinglr, lie sent <!k)lonel Vincent, cue of liis gecretaries,
to explain aii<i justify hia conduct before the French GoYijan-
mmt, then in the. hands of the Dirn^ti^r}-. Colonel Vinoent
ma the beaivr of a letter, of which the fbUowiag contains the
jvincipal p«»itgL-s : —

"Tonnaint L't^nvt-rtnre, General-iu-Chiof of the smy of Saint
Domingo, to tbe Directory of the Ropnblic :

"Cinxinr Dikectoks, — When in my last disjiatchea I deter-
mined to ra<]iie^ my dismiffinl, I did bo because, after having
eollected all Ihu instiinct.i of opposition to the [vindples which
the Constitntiiiu ba.i c^tablisheil, which yonr wisdom haa nuiin-
tained, which your energy has iktfended, — all the instancea <^
oppoaition, I ny, maniieeted in condnct held by th« agent
Hddonville during tbe short sptux of time which he goTemed thia
colony, — foreaaw the unhappy evont which ftw an instant dia-
tnrbed the public trxnqaillity I had had so much tnmhle to
estabUsh ; and I did bo after having calculated the conseqaenoes
erf the distance at which he hdd himfilf &om me, and erf whioh
he gave public proob on several occasions, fearing thaX my
deposition, which he meditated, would be the rewwd of my looj^
serrices, of my fidelity, and of my devotednesB.

"The incident at Foit-Danphin realised my apprehensions aa
to tbe oonvttlnon for whidi prepanrtiona were made, and the
proclamation which the agent pat forth at the mcuneat erf his
departure has justified my fean r^arding the. &te he intended

" The most outrageous injury which can be done to a man of
hoooor crowns the vexations which he has made me undergo;
By this perfidious act he causee a vut nomber of Frenehmea to
qoit these lands who had congratulated themselrea on their hap-
piness here, and who, fiuthfnl to their countiy, were compelled
to sacrifice their interests, rather than become acoomplioee in the
crime of independence of which I was regarded as goil^ ; he
oaniee with him, eipeciaUy, the principal anthtHitie^ that (aa he

TOussAnrr l*outbbturb. 103

said on leaving) thej may be the irrefragaUe proof of my du-
plicity, of my perfidy.

*' Doubtless the first feeling of the Directoiy, whom I respect,
on seeing them imanimously bear witness against me, will be to
invoke vengeance on my head; that of the French people, whom I
love, to devote me to execration; and that of the enemies of the
blacks, whom I despise, to cry out for slavery ; but when it shall
be known that at the time which I was accused of wishing to sun-
der this island from France, my benefactress, I repeated the oath
of fidelity to her, I take pleasure in believing that the govern-
ment I own, and my fellow-citizens, will render me the justice
I merit, and that the enemies of my brethren will be reduced to
ailenoa

" The Agent, in reality, surrounded himself only with persons
in the colony sunk in public opinion, ambitious and intriguing,
who caress all the factions which have torn this unfortunate
country. A band of young men, of no character and no prin-
ciples, who came with him, then threw away the mask, and
manifested a ^irit both antiniational and insulting to me.

'' The labourers who began to taste the sweets of repose in the
midst of security, were surprised at the impure sounds which
struck their ear, and wounded their heart. I became the depo-
sitory of their griefe, and I composed their minds by assuring
them of the good intentions of the agent of a benevolent govern*
ment; but they soon accused me myself of partially, having
become certain that even at the table of the General Agent they
were denounced as unworthy of the liberty they enjoy, and whidi
they have derived firom the equity of France.

" Often did the Agent reproach me with having received emi-
grants, with violating the constitution, with breaking the law.
Whatever may have been the reasons of the continual blame
which I received from him in regard to conduct in which I found
nothing to reproach myself with, I coidd not ascertain them,
and, persuaded that, from the moment that I lost his confidence^
I could expect no more good, I asked of you my diimn'am il,
Happy would it have been if it had reached me prior to his de^
parture ! He would then have learnt that ambition never was

104 THE uni or

my maaUir, and especuJly he would not have done me tlic mjoTT'
to publish that I desired to («nmaat« my services to Fr»nee hf
a crime towards which I wsti drawn by the men around me who
were sold to the Engliiih.

*' Whoever those may have been of whom I was obliged to make
use to assist mc in my important occupations, and without whom
even with all the means given byeducation which I have not re-
ceived, I could not have perfbnaed my fuactioos. I will one day
prove that no one leas than myaolf mcrittt the reproach laii) at my
doorby my adversaries, namely,thBtIallowed myself to be governed.

" Could it bo laid to my charge that I directed towanlM the
public interetits, that I employed for the advantage of the re-
public, activity, talents, and genius? And when my eccretariea,
whom bonds too sacred unite to their mother country to allow a.
moment's doubt of their attachment to her, are the sole dq>osi'
tariea of my secreta, the sole confidants of tiie projects which
I conld not confine within my own breast ; why cast on max who
will never influence me the blame of the ridiculona int«ntioDa
imputed to me, and which never having entered my heart,
again prove that I do not allow myself to be governed by the
passions of otheral If thoae pasaiona had directed my steps, I
should not have fbreserat the event which haa just taken place,
and, walking like a blind man on my political conrse, I ahonld
have asked you for my dismissaL

"But that step which prudence forced me to take, the only one
which could dissipate the storm with which I was threatened,
was vety &r from restoring confidence in the minds of tlw
people of Saint Domingo. The discontent of the labouren hftd
increased by the compulsion of an engagement for three years.
That seemed to them a step back to slavery. They called t»
mind the means proposed by Vanblanc to eatabliah his ayston
in this colony, and they were surprised that when the Directory
had puniahed that conspirator, its Agent shoald propose the
same meaencea, should prescribe them, should exact their prompt
and full execution. This dissatis&ction which was fostered, waa
soon ahaied by the soldiers. By the discharge of more than
three thouAnd men, eflbcted after the cmwmation of the weat by

TOU88AINT l'oUYERTURK. 105

the English, I had proved how necessary I thought it to cut
down the armaments of the military. I was hlamed in that
operation, and I received the order not to cut down any troop.
Nevertheless, on the departure of the English, it was declared
that all the hlack forces ought to he dishanded in order to he
sent hack to agriculture, and that European soldiers only shoidd
he employed in the defence of the coasts. Then distrust entered
the soldiers' hearts, and while previously a part of them had
taken the hoe without a murmur, they showed aversion toward a
measure which they regarded as an attack on liberty.

** Whatever were the grounds of distrust with which I was sur-
rounded; however fidthful the ooimcils I received on all parts
from the most sincere friends of the prosperity of Saint Domingo;
whatever fears were infused into my mind by the crimes con-
templated against my person; I did not hesitate to set out for
the Gape, and even endeavoured to give a proof of my confidence
in the highest authorities, by going unattended, except by an
aide-de-camp and a cavalry officer; but having arrived on the
H6ricourt plantation, I was met by alarming rumours. I learned
that at Fort-Dauphin, the fifth colonial regiment — ^which contri-
buted so much to the restoration of order, to the purification of
La Grande Bivi^re, (the Yend6e of Saint Domingo,) to the expul-
sion of the English — ^had become the victim of the European
troops, who formerly had delivered up to foreign powers the
points of the colony which had been confided to their defence.

'' Convinced, then, of the bad intentions of the Government
in whose names all those horrors were committed; no longer
seeing any security for any one who had acquired well-grounded
claims to the national gratitude ; fearing, with good reason,
for my own life, I turned back and prepared to go and wait at
Gonaives official news of an event, the consequences of which I
dreaded. I received a letter from the General Agent, which
confirmed my fears, and in which he ordered me to repair to
Fort-Dauphin to aid the citizen Manigat, whom he had
invested with all civil and military power, in the re-establish-
ment of order and public tranquillity. I then pressed on to
Gonaives, in order to take the escort, of which I had need. The

TBE Lira or

en. foroedl^^^l
k the foori^H

lOfi

CTiine§ committed hy Freuchmen against mj brethren,
to this prudential mcsaiire. I lejl Gontuves vilh
regiment; bnt what was my grief, when, on aniviug &t the
H6ricourt plantation, I lesraed that the riaing of the laJxitirers
had become general, that all the plain was in arms, and
threatened Cape Town with an immediate irruption. Those wl
with that design had assembled on the Hf-ricourt instate,
rounded me as soon as I arrived, reproaching me with ha"
deceived them in sutsweriug for the good iDtentions of General
H£doiiviIle. and altrtbuteil to me the slaughter of their brethrcD
at Fort-Danphin, the arreat of some of them, and the diamissal of
General Moyse; and then it wus that I received information of
all the details of that unfortunate event. Soon I learned that
the evil was intruding into ail the parishes, and that the people
required that General H£<louville should be sent away, the
restoration of General Moyae to hia righte, and the liberation of
the officers of the Hflh regiment, made prisoners in the allair at
Fort-Diinphin, Ac.

" Whatever pain I felt at the excesses committed against a ooips,
respeL-tohle for its services, and against olHcers whom I knew
always attached to their duties, ugaiost a thief who never fiuled
in his attachment to France and to the principles of liberty —
my own nephew — I regarded in ito alunoing an event only the
imniioent dangers to which the public interests were exposed.
I sent on all sides f^thfnl emissaries to calm the agitated mi
of men ; to announce to them my arrival, and to require of
to do niithing without my orders. I hastened to set rayaelf
opposition to the enterprises of the more senseless, who
already taken possession of the heights of the Cape and of Ft
Behur which commands the city. With dillicalty could I
my way through the crowds ; an immense influx of people, wl
the blind desim for revenge had armed, covered all the
which led to the Cape, and threatened that ci^ with
greatest calamities. Fcightened at the abyss, on the brink
which the city stood, T ran to draw it back. In my course, I
learned that the Gcnerul Agent hnd gone on board the fleet. Sur-
prised «t the news, I hastened to the Oape, which I reached

TOUSSAINT l'oUTEBTURE. 107

with difficulty, after haying, sometimes hj prajers, sometimes hy
menaces, stopped the torrent with which it was threat^ied to be
inundated. The astonishment caused by the departure of
General H^ouvilley was changed into grief when I learned that
that Agent, alarmed, doubtless, at the dangers to which he
had exposed the public weal, and despairing of any longer
being able to conserve it, hadTesolved to go away, and that, to
colour his pusillanimous flight, he had proclaimed that I was
aiming at independence.

" The terror having augmented, more than eighteen hundred
persons followed the Agent in his flight. He ordered the
cannons to be spiked. The command was being executed, when
there arose a cry * To arms !* The troops drawn out in battle
array were moved by the cry; they were pacified by their
leaders ; had a single musket been fired, the city would have
perished.

*' Strong in my conscience, I shall not remind you, citizen direc-
tors, of all I have done for the triumph of liberty, the prosperity
of Saint Domingo, the glory of the French Republic; nor will I
protest to you my attachment to our mother coimtry, to my
duties; my respect to the constitution, to the laws of the
Bepublic, and my submission to the Grovemment. I swear to
you I am faithful, and my future conduct, more than all oaths,
will prove to you that I shall always be fi&ithfuL

''If the defence of my cause, that of the freedom of my brethren,
needed cunning and intrigue, and manly eloquence, in order to
triumph over my enemies, I would give it up and weep over
France; but as I am persuaded that it is sufficient to present
the truth for it to be apprehended by the republican Qovem-
ment, I am satisfied with setting before you an exposition of
my conduct, and of that of General H6doUville, and repose on
your justice for the verdict which is to result.

" As soon as I had re-established the public tranquillity, I sent
to the Comnussioner Roume— your del^;ate in what was formerly
the Spanish part of this island — to intreat him in the name of the
public safety to come and take the reins of government thrown
up by C^end H6douyille; persuaded that his determination will

108 THE un or

he ooniormed to the wiahe« of all good Frenchmen, I impatientlj'
ftwait bis MTival. in order to aid hinj with all my power in the
important fiiuctioiis of liis new itobition."

The iqipe&l i>t' ja-^tk-e and rectitude pceT&iliKL The Directorr
■were Mtisfied with Touasaint's eelf-juBtt£catioa. More might
have been ex|t.'<.'U-iI ; more ought to have been given. Bat
an^cionfi began to prevail in Fruice to the disadvantage of
the negro ernauL'ijiator. The purer bis conduct, the more
heroic his life, tlie greater was hLi crime, for hia real crime whs
his power, and that |)Ower wiu the natural and inevitable cousv-
^neuce of hia virtuoua and high-minded career.

CHAPTER XH

Cinl war in the iiiBlli bclTMii TooHunt L'Ounrton aod Bigutd— Siege and
iiq)tiirc otlnoDfA,

Ih quitting the ahores of Hayti, HMouTille threw a torch of dia-
cord amidst the excitable population. Not only did he cause
alarm by declaring that Tooeaunt was preparing to betray the
colony to the English, but he called forth the slumbering pasrions
of the men of colour, by intimating that with them lay the power
and the duty of traversing his treacherous dedgns. He even
addressed a letter to their leader, Rigaud, in which he formally set
that mulatto general free from his obligations to Toussaint as
Commander-in-chief, and requested him to assume the command
of the southern department. This was nothing less than an in-
vitation to civil strife. A correspondence took place between
L'Ouverture and Rigaud. According to what he believed to be
his duty, the former acquunted the latter with the departure of
H6donTill«^ and exhorted him to pursue such a coarse as would
promote the general weaL Rigaud, evading the real point at
isaue, brought into prominence the alleged partiality of Toussaint
toward the emigrants, whom he requeated him to drive away.

ToussAnrr l'ouyxbtube. 109

The request, of course, remained without effect, but it served
as a pretext to the jealousies of Eigaud Again did trouble
take possession of the popular mind The fear became the
greater because Eigaud urged on Toussaint severity towards the
proprietors, whereas the latter had determined to pursue his
course of administering equal justice to men of all colours, so
long as thej proved themselves good citizens. In this state of
excitement Toussaint L'Ouverture invited the Commissioner
Eoume to repair to the seat of government, in order to fill the
post vacated by H6douville. In this step he gave effect to a
decree of the Directory. Eoume appeared at the Cape on the
12th of January, 1799. Toussaint, though suffering from sick-
ness, repaired thither to confer with him a few days afterwards.
The two chief authorities in the island came to an amicable
understanding after mutual explanations. Entering into the
large and philanthropic views of UOuverture, Eoume pro-
nounced him ** a philosopher, a legislator, a general, and a good
citizen."

Anxious to scatter the clouds which overhung the horizon,
Eoume called together the chief captains of the island. In
order to excite attention to the conference and commemorate
the event, public festivities were celebrated. At the foot of the
tree of liberty, planted in the great square, and surrounded by
generals, Eoume delivered a speech, in which he recommended
peace, union, love of the republic, and self-sacrifice. He pro-
nounced eulogies on the army, extolling the success of its arms
against the enemies of France, and declared that the most perfect
union existed between the generals, Toussaint L'Ouverture,
Eigaud, Biassou, Laplume, and the other military chiefs. The
following day business was entered into in earnest. The repre-
sentative of the French Government requested Eigaud to cede
certain portions of the territory which was under his controL
The request looked like a concession to Toussaint L'Ouverture.
Jealousy sprang into activity in Eigaud's mind. After a warm
discussion, and some time for reflection, the mulatto chief gave in
his resignation. Eoume replied, lurging its withdrawaL The
request prevailed, and Eigaud set out for the south. On his way

110 THE Lira or

ke cwacnated Grand OoAvn sod Petit GqAtb— « portion onljr oC
what had been reqninwl — which L'Oavcrtiur' caoaed hi* trooiM to
ocaapj. Thf storm luul nxndvd; b; no means bad it pa
ftvav. Tbf colonists nllifd arouud L'Ouvertare; for they
not forgotli'u that it was frum the ofTortA of the five men of
cadonr to gain cqiuUty of {volitical righta, that the revolution had
|N»oeeded, which hnd changed the face of the isLuid. The^- stirred
np divimoug ouiung Uie blacks and the men of mJngled blood.
On their port the men of colour were displotuicd at seeing the
■Dpfeme command settled in the hands of an African of pnra
blood, and flwkod around the standard of Rigand. The blacky
tinder the protection of the Uovemnicnt and TooABint. behdd
the gathering <:li)iids not without cxcitcmtait. yet in conlidcDoe;
nor were thuy tmwiUing, after so many victor icn, to try a last
&11 with their special foe.

The contest b^an with extremee; free white men fought witb
black slavea. Its interval have disappeared. The circle has
narrowed. Those who are nearest each other are about to join
in conflict The black will fight with thoee who are a little
less black than himself: therefore this will be the deadlieot combat
of alL The two parties stand and look at each other tike in-
flamed beasta of prey. Which will make the first springT

The mulatto, to the qualities of |nide and meanncea, adda
angular strength of muscle and impulse o{ passion. CoDaciona
of power, he also feeb within him boiling emotions. If victory
depended on a dash, he would be master wherevm' he dwells.
But the very exnboance of his nature precludes caution and
banishes jmidence, and in the impetuosity of bis mah he incun
as mnch peril as he occasons. Impatient of delay, he pays
tor momentary advantages by speedy and irretrievable defeat.
Yet the same oubridled will which brings disaster nouiiabea
vindictiveness; he is therefore ever prepared, if not panting
for revenge. The fij^t, consequently, is renewed, but without a
change of result; and so life passes away in exOavagant and
disappointed effiirtfl.

The. mnlaltoes of Hayti could not restrain their wounded
feeling!. The oppoaitioa to the Qonnaaeat briAe out afc

1

4

TOU88AINT l'OUVERTURE. Ill

Ooraily a small village in the southern department. The men of
colour gaining the upper hand, threw into prison, at J^remie^
thirty of their prisoners, consisting of one colonist and nine-and-
twenty hlacka Then was re-enacted the tragedy of the Black
Hole in Calcutta. The prisoners perished from had air. Pre-
meditation was imputed to the mulattoes; of culpahle incon-
sideration and hlind passion they were guilty. '^ In all move-
mentSy" remarked UOuverture, 'Hhe hlacks are the victims.*
This dark event rendered the continuance of peace impossible.
Both sides prepared for war. Toussaint, with a foresight be-
coming his position, looked calmly at the probable wants of the
island in general. Hayti was indebted for the food of its in-
habitants chiefly to importation. The condition of France gave
small hope of sufficient supplies. War, too,* would suspend the
operations of agriculture in the island. He therefore negotiated
a commercial treaty with the United States.

The conflict began with an attack by Rigaud*s troops on
Petit Gk)&ve, the surrender of which had been obtained in the
conference at the Cape. The place fell, and the colonists were
all ruthlessly massacred. Profiting by the success, Bigaud
advanced and took up a position against Grand Go&ve. Hasten-
ing to Port-au-Prince, Toussaint justly accused Rigaud with
having first drawn the sword, and made preparations for the
campaign. Having called the mulattoes together into the
Church, he ascended the pulpit and laid bare tlieir bosoms, fore-
telling his own success and the ruin of their cause. " I see,** he
said to them, '^ I see to the bottom of your souls; you are ready
to rise against me, but although all the troops are quitting the
weiA, I leave behind my eye and my arm-my eye, which wiU
watch you; my arm which, if necessary, will fidl upon yoiL"

A mulatto plot, which extended even to the north, had put the
keys of Poi't-au-Prince into the hands of a traitor. L*Ouverture
was a prisoner in a town which he thought his own. But his
decision and courage were equal to all crises. He discovered the
snare, punished the criminals, and then, with the fleetness and
the force of the eagle, flew back over his own territories, and,
forcing strongholds and capturing towns, went as &r to the

112 THE LIFE or

north-west BS SaiBt-NicLolaB, which he brought back to its dut
The men of colour were smitten with coDRtematioD, and many
them having beou captured in the several coUiBions, Buffered in-
dignities the most hmniiiatiug. Suddenly Toussaint returaed to
the Cape. The guilty thought the hour of their doom was come.
The high-minded victor invited the inhabitants to meet him at the
church, and there, beaidea a concourse of people, all the civil and
military authorities assembled. The garrison, which consisted
black trooiiH, surrounded the place ; and under the guard
picket of soldiers in the church were the men of colour,
naked, and in extreme dejection. Toussaint L'Ouverturt a
an elevation, prononnced a eiUogiura on the forgivenet
juries as the duty of every Christian, and then proclaiming the
pardon and the freedom of all the mulattoes, he distributed
clothes and money to them severally, and gave strict injunctions
that, on their way to join their families, tkey should be pro-
tected and treated as bi-othcrs. This unexpected generosity pro-
duced the roost U\-eIy enthusiasm. As he left the church,
dictions were showered on his head.

While at the Cape, admiration at Toussaint's clemency
universal ; the mulatto insurgents in the south only fought
more strenuously, in order to make up by miUtaty advantage
that which L'Ouverture had gained by wise moderation. No wais
are so bitter or so bloody as those of class, caste, and colour.
The fact was illustrated in this terrible conflict. With such
bitterness and ferocity did it rage, that Toussaint was comjielled
to employ all his influence to recruit his ranks. To the blacks
he might look with contidence, as the war was speciaUy for
benefit ; but the blacks began to grow alarmed t
struggle proceeded. The whites in the north and the west,
had hitherto been exempt &om the service, were marshalled at
the Gape, and sent into the south, to take part in a contest in
which they had only a remote interest. A mute consternation
prevailed. Scarcely was the conflict spoken of in the intercourse
of private life^ and the periodical press tranaciibed the reports
of the several chie& without permitting themselves to add any
ootnments or reflections. Every one not actually engaged

vil and
sted "f

dofjM

g the
buted
:tions

Fpro-
itth^^

e blacks ^

iguimuj^^H
est,wij^|

TOU88AIKT l'oUYERTXTBE. 113

war&xe feared to compromise himself lest be should bring on bis
bead tbe vengeance of the conqueror. Yet prudence did not
prevent complications of all kinds, nor could Toussaint's mercy
preclude borrors tbe most distressing. Kigaud, boundless in
resources as be was brave and daring, put fortb all bis energy,
and maintained bis position at every cost. Toussaint, witb a
prowess not inferior to Rigaud*8, was equally vigilant, and equally
bold. Yet was be tumble to guard against all stratagems. In
tbe recesses of tbe mountains near Port-de-Paix, as be made bis
way witb few attendants, be found tbat be bad fisdlen into an
ambuscade. A discbarge of musketry rattled around bis bead,
bis pbysician fell dead at bis feet. Tbe plimie of featbers wbicb
he wore was shot away, and be himself escaped as if by miracle.
Saved from one, be shortly after was exposed to another ambus*
cade. The shots were directed at his carriage; the coachman
was killed ; he himself rode tranquiUy on horseback a few paces
distant. In tbe midst of perils, Toussaint L*Ouverture perse-
vered. Yet he obtained only partial succesa Tbe troops of >
Rigaud, if fewer in number, were individually superior to the
basty levies of Toussaint, and collectively better disciplined.
Many of them bad long fought und^ their chie^ and were con-
versant with all tbe resources and requirements of tbe war in
wbicb they were engaged. Witb tbe country in wbicb the con-
flict was waged they were intimately acquainted, and of tbe
character of their leader they knew enough to be avrare that only
defeat would bring discredit or occasion displeasure. Having to
overcome supb an enemy, Toussaint L'Ouverture found it neces-
sary to put fortb his utmost power, tbe rather as he had to hold
possession of a wide extent of country, and that with troops of
whom the bulk were of an inferior caste. Painful is it to read
tbe alternations of defeat and victory in this terrible con-
test, especially as on both sides they were accompanied by acts
of cruelty. The only relief that the mind can obtain in going
through tbe now tedious, now revolting details, arises from tbe
reflection tbat had such amount of eflbrt and such patience of
suflering as these events show man to possess, been employed,
as happily one day they may be employed, in some cause of high

I

lU m

benevoknoe, aome undBrtJing to HtPB Hid not 4o teftnyr
Irves, tihd tcsdHb woold hwo boon no
xiooB indeed. The tenvr liiiif a d hy THigKftffM
ferocity drove ibe Uxmien from fte ikUs into the inii;
the £arte they were dmen into ike towu; idMn one ifomm
taken, they escaped into oDoliier. Then Hiey Mwmhloii
to oonoert and mako sttacka. Una the o uitg y ivaa a
the dtiee overflowed. While i^^ricidtaB ivaa at a ntamhriaH
pfOTiBionB were often deatroy^edy and ivhiie no wnpfdiea
the countiy, the denae flUHMBa ag g ie gat ad in 1^ towna
rienced want. The vramt aroae to tuaamt m Jacmel, lyiog aai
the Bontheni eide of the tongue ^f land ivhieh fivma the aoattona
department. Jacmel, on the apaahaaHy fenaed the htj «f the
district. It was under the power of Mgand, wimwuBided hj
Birot. Resolved to capture the pkce, which was capable of
affiirding an obstinate resiatanoe, Touasaint himself sat down bo-
fere it. With the utmost difficulty were the preparations fer
the si^ie made. Women and children were employed to convey
ammunition. Bands, amounting to six thousand labourer^ drew
huge pieoes of cannon along frightful precipices, and down roada
the most rugged, broken, and dangerous. At length, the troopa
were collected, and Jacmid was invested, so £u- as the sea would
permit. Boon the harbour also was blockaded. Then the terroca
of flEimine began to be experienced. So intense and various were
the sufferings, that the officers at length detennined to capitu-
late. The determination was op|K>8ed by the soldiers, who de-
clared resistance still possible. The commander, with two of his
stafi^ embarked in the night and escaped to Cayes. His post
was assumed by Qauthier. The siege was pressed with vigour.
Post after post was taken. Meanwhile, Rigaud neither came
up to aid, nor operated a diveraion. Then Peiion, i^prized of
the critical }X)Hition of the town, determined to assume the
perilous command, aud, with three vessels and some }nx>viaions^
succeeded in making his way into the port, under the disohazges
of firearms from the enemy's posts. Entering into the duties he
had voluntarily undertaken, he employed all his ability in the
defisnoe. But -an enemy was at work over whom he had no

ToussAurr L^ auwiaiuR K. lU

fowec The haoame reaoihed audi a height^ thai ihe niltahitanti
were oompelled to eat the hones belenging to the cavmhy.
Sveiy graen thing was torn up and devovred. Thoae thooj^
theMaeiyci happy who, in their aear^ for fbod^aoet witiiarat or a
licacd. In the p«hfic hi^waji, funiahed men acaroely rBcqgnised
each other. Frenzy and wailing iUed eretj plaoe. Mothen^
WOOL down hy wwaL, fatigiie, and woe, lay m the atreeta, with,
their dead infioita on their exhanatod breaafca. At length Petion,
aeei^g thai Inrther reaiatanoe waa iii4X)aBibley resolved to out hia
way through the besiegers. In order to inapire his aoldiera
with his own oourage, he tore the Aaga from the stafis, and
eonunaaded hia men to bind atdps of them ronnd their bodies
ao that if they perished, they might still be futhfol to their
ooloTBS. Jacanel fell, and its &11 waa a heavy blow to Rigand.
Having taken posaeaaion of Jacmel, Toosaaint L'Oavertore ad-
dreaaed to the inkabitanta of the southern department the fol-
lowing ptoelamatijon : —

''CinzEva,

'^ By what £fttality is ii, that hitherto deaf to my voioe^
which invites you to order, you have listened only to the coun-
cils of Bigaud ? How is it possible that the pride of a single
person shotdd be the aouroe of your evils, and that to flatter hia
ambition^ you are willing to destroy your funilies, ruin your
property, and bring yourselves into disgrace in the eyes of the
whole world.

" I repeat to you for the third and last time, that my quarrel
is not with the citizens of the south, but solely with Kigaud,
inasmuch as he is disobedient and insubordinate; whom I wish
to bring back to his duties that he may submit to the authority
of a chief whom he can no longer disown. You ought not to
have supported in his misdeeds a proud soldier who evidently
raised the standard of revolt. You ought to have left me free
to act, since I had a right to reprimand and even to punish
him. This Sigaud knew well, but, too haughty to bow before
the organs of the law, he has employed every means to seduce
you and to retain you as accomplices. Consult your OQnscicno& \

i2

116 THE LIFE OF

put away all prtijudicea ; you will then esailj know I
baa deHii'ed to drive into i-evolt all men of colour, in order to
m&ke them hJH partisani) and. co-operators. 1 need not remind
you of the means he has taken for the purpose, and tbc resources
he has employed to deceive you all. You know as well as I,
porhapH better than I, hia destructive projectfl, and all he has
attempted to put them into ejLecution; he pretended to com-
mand blacks and whites without being willing to be commanded
by them. Yet the law is ctjual for all. Painful experience
ought to have torn from your eyea the veil which hides the brink
of the precipice. Give, theu, close attention to what you are
about to do, and the danger which you still run. Reflect on
the perils and the calamities which threaten you, and hasten to
prevent them. I am kind, I am humane, I open to you my
fatherly arms. Come all of you, I will receive you all, no less
those of the south than those of the west and of the north, vho,
gained over by Rigaud, have deserted your fin^sides, your wives,
your children, to place yourselves at his side. And Eigaud him-
self, that ambitious man, if he had followed the advice which I
gave him, to submit to his law^ superiors, would he not now be
tranquil and peaceful in the bosom of his family 1 would ho not
be firm and untroubled in the command which was intrusted to
him 1 But mastered by deadly passions, Rigaud has dug a gulf
at your feet ; he baa laid snores which you could not avoid. He
wished to have you as partisans in his revolt ; and to succeed in
his object, he has employed falsehood and seduction. If you
carefully examine this artful but very impolitic conduct, you
cannot but declare ttuit Rigaud does not love his colour, and that
he had rather sacrifice it to his pride and ambition than labour
for its happlaess by good examjde and wise councils. And in
truth, citizens, the greater number of those whom he has misled,
have perished either in battle or on the scaffold. Must not the
others who persist in this revolt expect a Hiin;iii.r fate, if they n1>-
.juro not their culpable error ? You may be well assured that if
humanity did not direct the actions of a chief attached to his
country as well ad to his fellow-citizens, and more disposed to
paixlaii than to punish, the calamity weald be still greater ;^^B

TOUSSAINT L'oUYERTUBS. 117

belongs to you to prevent its augmentation. In consequence^
I invite jou, citizens, to open your eyes and to give serious
attention to the future. Reflect on the disasters which may
ensue firom longer obstinacy. Submit to lawful authority, if
you wish to preserve the south untouched. Save your fiuniliea
and your property.

"But i^ contrary to my expectation, you continue to
support the revolt raised and propagated by Rigaud, in vain
will you reckon on the fortifications he has constructed. The
army of Touasaint L'Ouverture, led by generals whose bravery
you know, will assail you, and you will be conquered. Then,
not without grie^ and in spite of my efforts, shall I see that you
have been the unhappy victims of the pride and ambition of a
single man. I will say more ; desiring to put an end to the evils
which have already too long afflicted this unfortunate colony, and
wishing to prove to the French nation that I have done every-
thing for the safety and happiness of my fellow-citizens, if Kigaud
— ^though the author of these troubles — ^presents himself in good
faith, and without stratagem, and acknowledges his fault, I will
still receive him. But if Rigaud persists, and if he refuses to
profit by my offer — do you, fathers, mothers, £Eunilies— do you
all come ; I will receive you with open arms. The fisither of the
prodigal son received his child afler he had repented.'*

This merciful invitation was not without effect on the
population of the south. Rigaud himself however, had gone too
&r to return. He was committed to the rebellion, and felt both
compelled and disposed to abide the result. In order to counter-
act the loss of Jacmel, and the appeal of Toussaint, he made
extraordinary exertions to raise in mass the population under
his sway. On his side, L*Ouverture prepared to prosecute his
advantages, and terminate the disastrous war«

fU

CHAPTEJR Xni.

ToQMaint endiuaoaxa to BoppraM the siaTe-toide in SaBto-Bomingo, and theeabj
incun the displeasure of Bourne, the repreaeiitativB of FVance — ^ho OTeroomes
Bigaud — ^Bonaparte, now Fint Consul, sends Commissioners to the is&uid
— End of the war in i&e south.

But Tousaaint L'Oavertvre found troabks and kmdrances in. an
unexpected (foarter. During the fratricidal war which, delugnd
the south with, blood, the horrible traffie of the slave-trade waa
revived on the east of the islands Thoa eommeree^cHrigin&ted 1^
Jean Fran^oia and Biassou, continued after their disappearaooe
from the political scene, and went on constaatlj inereasBi^
Young blacks, stolen in the north, were conveyed to the Cify ef
Saint Domingo, where they were shipped for Porte Bico and
fiavannah — ^there to bear the jokB of slavery. Many of tha
old officers of Jean Francis pursued this aa their only meaaa of
subsistence.

Aware that vepresentationa had iiL vain beam made against theae
barbarities at the court of Madrid, and indignant that slavery,
when nearly extinguished in its old form, should be' revived in
ft new, and even worse one, Touasaint wrote (Dee. 25, 180^)
from the walls of Jacmel to the agrait Bourne, urging him, aa the
Only effectual means of putting a stop to the ev^ to take p ooooo
sunt of the Spaai^ part of the ialiand, conforaubbly to treaty. Un^-
derthe pretext that it was necesseuyto awaiit the arrival of soom
Suropean troops. Bourne postponed the execution of the request.
Toussaint was tocf versed in politics not to be awaare thai the
ostensible postponement was, in reality, a refusal He also
became aware that Boume's adviser was one who owed no good
will to himself That person, being invited to give an accoimt
of his conduct, emigrated to Porto Bico — -justifying the saq>icion

TOUSSAIST E'OCTSBarUKE. 11^

that he had intereafced motivBi tor promoting the oontnuumoe of
the infiuBoos traffic.

This event, in which. L*Oavertnre appears to &eah advantage,
and acted in agieemant with the general tenonr of hia public lifb^
occasioned an eatrangement between hinL and Bonma The
agent had conceived the plaaof conquering the "R^g^ia^ pofr-
sessions in the West Indies. On an enterpziae of suck a nature
and magnitude^ he ought to have ocmsultedy and,, if he were
willing; onployed^ the commander-in-chieL But, either to idiow
his indapendence of Touaaaint KOurerturey. ov to put a public
insult on him, he passed by that general^ and eonfideil to Map*
shall Bese the command of an expedition against Jamaica. La
order to pave the way, he sent into the island two men of da>-
termined character,, a white and a mulatto. Those emiaaaxies
were denounced, taken, and hanged. The event interfered with
TouBsainfs operations, for the English captured a flotdUa whidi
he intended for the blockade of JacmeL From this time, ihea»
existed a rupture between Roume and Tousaaint^ Criminations
were exchanged. Each threw impedimenta in the way of the
other. Touasaint could not regard Bourne as a sincere Moid of
his race. Bourne afBected to believe that Touaaaint had sijnnpar
thiea in fiivonir of the BHgJish, with whom. Franc* was at
war. At laafc, Bourne demanded a veaael to convey him to
France.

As soon as Toasaamt had become- loaster of Jacmel^ he pro*-
ceeded to* the Cape, and m an interview witk the Agent,
reproached him, in the presence of his sta^ with- beings aa enemy
to the cokmy and to the: liberty of the blbck& "Ha fbrthec re-
quired him. to give an oieder for the occupastion of t&e east, —
resdLved to put down the slave-trade, of which that was the
centre. Boxane refiised compliance. The conscfuenoe was>. that
he appr^eocted the Agent, and sent him. to prison. The exg»^
dient prevailed. The order was given. Touaaaint. despatched
General Ag6 to Santo Domingo, and returned to finish the war
in the aouth. A regular campa%n was begun. Thexebela were
defeated, and abandoned several peats the zetantisn of which'

lift TBS Lin OF

e to their Kofety. Rigaud saw hu rAoi grow pttle.
Most of his rajH'nijr o£o«rs olomdoaed him. Desertion epread
throni^ the miks. On the other aide, ToassBint appeared unid
hia troops, ndi&iit n-ith victory. Ho brought with him pecu-
niary resonroes. With these, he distributed pay among the
■oldien ; and yi, while supplying their wunts, gained their confi-
dence and excited their enthusiasm.

The two armies sat dowu oppoaite each other. Skirmishing
bc^an. Th«n seriou!) rencontres took place. At last, issue was
joined, and the ix-vi>ltvr« suf(ei¥«t a signal defeat. AA«r this trial
of strength, Higaud might be troublesome, but he could not be
fonnidable. X>rivca to desperation by his fijlures, he ordered
hia men to lay waste the country, and, to use hii> own words,
to take snch steps that " the trees should ha^'e their rtiots
in the air." His old hands, thinned by war, stckueaa, and age,
hecame Rigaud's sole reliance. On every side hia cause was
abandooed by the citizens and the civic authorities. Thus
was he reduced to a leader of bandittL He saw his position,
and issned this prodamation, — it was His last word to the
public : —

" Considering the crisis in which the department is, owing to
the unjnst and inhuman war carried on against it by the ti«itmr
Touaaaint L'Ouverture, from whom no one must expect either
safety or honour, I am obliged, in the poeition I hold, to take
the only measures that remain to save the department: con-
sidering, moreover, that proposals for peace, or for suspen-
sion of arms, directly concern the executive power, and that, in
all cases, it is to the chief of the armed force of the department
Uiat the right bekmgs of proposing peace or suspending aims,
because he ought to seize the moment favourable for proposala
of the kind, which, if made in critical junctures, and by thoaa
who have not the means of putting a stop to the evil, may
imbolden the enemy, and cause calamitiea he would have
avoided.

" For now a year this war has been going on ; the p>>palar
bodiea and the pretended friends of peace have taken no at^

TOUSSAINT L*OUyERTUBS. 121

to stop its course. At the present, when the enemy has had
some saooessy and when terror has taken possession of feeble and
timid mindsy they fsmcy that a monster thirsting for human
blood, an ungrateful wretch, a traitor towards the Eepublic, hia
bene&ctor, the devastator of Saint-Domingo, the executioner of
the parish of Jacmel, the persecutor of all the French agents —
finally, the slave of the English, that he only can grant a peace
or a suspension of arms. Citizens of the southern department,
undeceive yourselves, if you think that anything else than arms
can save you, while you wait for the intervention of the French
Government, to whom those differences between the south and
the other departments have been referred. Be well assured,
my fellow-citizens, that I have your tranquillity and your hap-
piness too much at heart, not to seize all opportunities to
procure for you peace or a suspension of arms; and if the enemy
adhere not to the proposals which in proper time and place
I shall think it my duty to make to him, I shall know how,
with the aid of my brave comrades, to make war on him even
to extinction. Resume your courage. If he is powerful in
numbers and in resources, your fellow-citizens, composing the
southern army, possess courage and honour, and will find means
to secure your safety.

" Under these circumstances, and employing the powers con-
fided to me, I make these provisional arrangements, which are
to be punctually executed ; and accordingly ordain : —

''Article 1. The municipal government of the south shall
for the future restrict themselves to the simple but useful
functions of verifying births, marriages, and deaths; but all
municipal deliberations, all assemblies, as well as deputations to
the enemy, are interdicted. The municii)alities shall only lay
before me the wishes of their fellow-citizens, to which I will give
replies.

'' Article 2. Parochial assemblies may take place after per-
mission has been obtained from the Commander of the southern
department.

''Article 3. Before legal permission is given, if there are

122

TBB LIFE C

meetiagB, wbetber of individuals or of [iiirishpH, ia the citiea

a the country, martial law shtiU be forthwith proclainied, aoj
the chief of tho ai-med force of the district ia authorized to pofr
Iiis troops in movement tt> put down the aajd meetirigs ; bv
shall begin with mild meaaoves, aad then employ severity, if he
ia forced to it.

" Article i. The greatest vigilsnce shall be obaerved towards
the diaturbers of tlM public peact^, aud agnisfit secret diaor-
gottizers : the |>roprietara shall be protectvd^ ami their pro-
perty shall be respected. The national armed police shall be

I patmanettt activity in the interior, and those who ahall be
dcnonoced for any crime against order umI ao&ty, ahali
apprehended and tried by a eeuncil ef war, uul pnaiidwil aen

ng to the laws."

This manifesto, the spirit of which is even worse than
logic and ita grainmar, serred only to ahsw how iindtHie ItignuA
wuh. And how necessary tliat all who had any r^anl to tliemaeli

r the public good should abuudoiD the clesperB.be gladiator. Uis
banda, however, were unwilling to yield. Blood, there&te, flowed
tresma. The old men of ths South ore siuil still to shndidcT
when thi*y think of tlutt confiiet, which they designate *' the war
of the knife," thus showing to what extreme means the eora-
butantB resorted in their deadly hatred and mnrderoos strife.
The proclamation, was scarcely anytliing more than the bal£-
Articulate yrorda '>f n man who wad staggering to his tklL
more aeritnui conflids tried, and lost, and Bigaud'a star wcat
down below the horizom.

While, during the wedcs aaii, months of a long year,
fri;>htful scenes of mutiul carnage had bven coTerintf one '
tinest pai-ta of Hayti with euqwea and niins, the Di»Bct«y
the mother country, too much occupied with its own
and party itit^'rests, gave no attention to the distracted colou'
A change was at hand. Bonaparte, haatening fram Egypt/
overtuimed the Directory, and snatched the reins nt powa^
Having taken his sMit, he called around him (Dec. 3, 1790)
thetie who wciv thought to be converanat with the cooditiaB of
colony, in order t-) diacuas the means of restoring peace

be

i

ivel^l

1

T0U8SAIRT l'DUTDTURB. 133

withixi its l9ordeTs. The representatives of TonsBSuit simI of
Kgaod were alike heard. S&ortlj after, a <lBeree was issoedy
hj which Yiueenty Baymcmd, and MidMl, were- deputed to
Hayti, ia order to earvj thither tha Consolar Coa nti ttitian,
and a proclanmiion addiessed to the oihabitanta^ lUgand was
recalled to France. Toussaint L'OvTertiire was confiRiied in ha
post as Qeneral-inKshief.

The proclamation was &r firom inspiring confidence or pr»-
moting traaqmllitj- among the blacks, sinoo it postponed ansl
deferred to another legisUtive act the promxdgation ci tha kiws
which were to goYem Hayti Michel^ djasatisfied with the
bravery of Tonssamt L'Onyertnre^ returned into Fvsnct; Baf-
mond, whose molatto's skin made him an objeet of sospicion, was
ordered to remain at the Cape. Yincent alone was received with
confidence. He presented to the Commaoder-iD-chief the new
Oonstitntion, a letter written firom the Minister of Marine^ and
the proclamation of the Oonsola In the prodamation were
these words : — " Brave blacks, remember that the French Be-
public has given yon liberty, and that it only can cause thaft
liberty to be respected.** These words, it was ordered, idiould
be inscribed in letters of gold on all the flags of the colonial
national guard. Toussaint manifested no haste either to pubUsb
the proclamation or emi>xouier the sentenoe on the- eoloazsL /
How could he pronndgate a known fidsehood I The Kepnblle
had not given freedom to the blacks. The blades^ onder their
able leader, had extorted freedom from the handb of their masters
Toussaint, who vras well in&rmed of the views and intrigues
regarding the colony which were nourished in PlunB, knew that
hiis ruin had been resolved on before the sri^elevohian of BcNtiar
parte to the Consulship. Had tlis illrfeeHng paawd awayt
Why, then, had not the First Consol wBitten to him under
his own senators '} Dntmst and diaquieinda pvavailed in. the
relations of L'Ouverture and Idie repcesentaibrvis of the- new
government in France. It is true that Bigandl was dioswned^
but Tounsaint was not coidiaQy embiaoed ; nor weie the rif^itB
of the bhMika frankly leoognised and legally settled.

As soon as he had given audience to Yincent, Toussaint

]y terminafi^^^H

121 THE LITE OF

L'Ouvertnre set off for the seat of the not yet wholly
war. After a few days, he sent lor Vincuut, iu order that the
chief civil and military powera ahould be on the spot, In the
hope of bringing the business to an amicable tenuiuation, the
General induced Vincent, aceompanied by a black maa and a
man of colour, to go on a deputation to the revolters, who yet
stood out. He put into the haiida of the deputies an act of
amnesty in favonr of all who had taken part in the war, not
even Rigaud excepted. The deputies reached Cayes, where
Bigaud held his head-quai-ters. That city, exhausted by so
long and so disastrous a conflict, heard with pleasure of the
object of their mission. Uigaud was quickly informed of the
arrival of the deputies. On reading the despatch he flew into
the most violent passion. The outburst was so violent aa to
endanger Vincent's life. That agent, however, was the bearer
of a letter &om Rigaud's son, to whom he had shown the kindest
attentions, and who declared to his fiither the gratitude he felt
in return. The mulatto chief eagerly threw his tiyea over the
lines. All at once his wrath ceased, But the warrior soon
overcame the father. Vexation took the place of vengeance.
He would not live ; he could not endure to live. Again and
again he tried to kill liimself. At length he waa calmed down,
and ere many days he quitted Saint Domingo for the shores of
France. Thither he was accompanied by Fetion and some q£,
his principal ofGcera. The other mulatto chiefs emigrated
various parts of the archipelago of the Antilles. _

Thus terminated the war in the South. With that war evMy"
obstacle to the freedom of the blacks disappeared. One after
the other hod hindrancea and oppasition been swept out of the
way by the strong hand of Tousawnt L'Ouverture, the negro-
champion, of the negro race. Against the colonists, against the
Bjiantards, against the English, against the mulattoes. against
the French ^ep^esontativc^ and in a measure against blacks
themselves, had he, by prudence, perseverance, and prowess,
by singleness of aim, by unity of purpose, by personal efforts
the most astounding, and a union of skill, caution, and daiiof

ToussAurr l'ouyebtube. 125

rarely equalled, vindicated the freedom of the Africans, in
Hajti. There was yet a stronger power. Keligion, in its
relation to the grand work he had undertaken, rose in his
breast to enthusiasm. In some sense he was, he belieyed, Gk>d*8
envoy and God's agent in the fierce and sanguinary struggle In
that conviction he found light and strength which had, to him,
the vividness and the authority of what, in a qualified sense, may
be called inspiration. Here was the grand secret of his success.
He has himself given an outline of his career, which may appro-
priately find insertion in this place. " At the b^pnning of the
troubles of Saint Domingo, I felt that I was destined to great
things. When I received this Divine intimation I was four and
fifty years of age ; I could neither read nor write ; I had some
Portuguese coins; I gave them to a subaltern of the regiment of
the Cape, and, thanks to him, in a few months I could sign my
name and read with ease. The revolution of Saint Domingo was
taking its course. I saw that the whites could not endure,
because they were divided and because they were overpowered
by numbers; I congratulated myself that I was a black man.
A necessity was laid on me to commence my career. I went
over to the Spanish side, where the first troops of my colour had
found an asylum and protection. That asylum and protection
ended in nothing. I was delighted to see Jean Fran9ois make
himself a Spaniard when the powerful French Republic pro-
claimed the general freedom of the blacks. A secret voice said
to me, * Since the blacks are firee, they need a chie^ and it is I
who must be that chief, foretold by the Abb^ RaynaL' Under
this feeling I joyously returned to the service of France. France
and the voice of God have not deceived me.** These words are
reported from memory. As depending on the ear and the
tongue, they must be received only in their general tenour. Our
narrative, which rests on satisfactory vouchers, shows that, long
piior to the age of fifty-four, Toussaint could at least read. If
taken as indicating the defectiveness of his scholarship even at
the time when he began his task, they are, doubtless, substan-
tially correct ; and their testimony goes to confirm the unqties-

126 nCE LQV OF

tionaUe &et, that not bj ordiiuay humin applianoeB and aids
4id this eactraordinaij genius accomplish his mexitorioiis and
jM»ble wodc*

"CHAPTER XIV.

Toussaant UOmntttare hiav^nntes a better Intiire — ^Pidyfiaheaa general
— Declarca liis task aocotnpliahfid in petting an end to civil etrife, and
Uishtng peace on a sound basis — ^Takes possession of Spanish Hajti, aad
stops the slave-trade — ^Welcomes back the old colonists — ^Bestores agneultiire
— Seealls proaperitj— fitndies personal appearance on publie oeeasian —
fiimplicity «f Ins life and mannffra— His audienoes and reoeptiona — li held
in general respect.

On the first of Angnst^ 1800^ L^Quverture made his triumphal
entrance into Cajes. All official honours were rendered to him.
Hearts on every side beat with enthusiastic gratitude towards
the general bene&ctor. He asomded the pulpit and pro-
claimed the oblivion of wrongs. He complained only of the
absence of the mulattoes. The sense of thdr discomfiture waa
too recent. Two of their chie&, however, went to meet him
afterwards, and he received them in a cordial manner. TTia aim

* The instradaon which Toussaant reoeived in boyhood is totified bj his soa
Isaac, in his interesting Notes to the Memoirs he wrote, " Sur FEzp^dition des
Frangais sons le Gonsulat de Bonaparte," appended to Metral's Histoire de
ribqtdditiooi des Fran9ais k Baint Domingue," Fans, 1825. Accarding to Isaae'B
iestimony, Toussaant when a boj learnt something of Latin and Geemetrj
<p. 3S6) . While yet ho was in the service of Spain, Isaac says of him : — ** Wxthont
Imving topographical maps of those countries, after the example of captaina of
ike aneient world, Luoallus, Pompey, CsDsar, Touasaint made one; he laid down
%m paper, acoording to infcamation given him by peapie who Icnew the ^^ittriHa,
their extent, their respective distances, the direction of the mountains, and of the
livers, and everything remarkable, such as defiles, Ac. Ac." (p. 329). The AiB
to fonn eueh a map, besides involving reading and writing, givea coantenaBee
te the intanataon of Isaac Touasaint, that his f&ther had some aequaintanoe with
geometry as well as drawing. Doubtless, the father's echolarahip was ahraya
^[oite rudimentaL

TOUSSAJNT L'OimRTUBE. 127

was to diieoi men's minds from the 4ak past to tibe height
future. On the 17th of the moath he put ioacih. his prodamatiep.

" OitizqpBj — ^AH the events which have taken jdaoe «t fiainb
Domingo ducing the oiyil war oecaaoned by Bigaud are of :a '
nature to merit public attention.

" Now thai they are no longer likely to 1m renewed, it is of
importance io the prosperity of the oelony, end to the happiness
of the inhamiantii, 4o draw tke euctam on the past, in erder that
we may be oooopied exohwively in Tfyairiitg the •evils which, of
necessity, have vasalted feam the ioteafciDe war hvo«|^t Ibartk by
the pride and ambitian of an individual.

" A part of the nitiimns of Baint Domingo liape been deceived,,
because, too flBedalous, th^ did not sufficiently snapect the
snares which had been laid to draw tJhem into their criminal
designs. Others have acted in these, dronmstances according to
the impiakien of their 'hearts. Moved by the same principles as
the chief of the vevdt, they consideFed it beneath them to be
commanded by a black man. Him they judged it necesaaxy to
get rid of^ at whatever cost, and iAtef spared nothing to succeed
in their object. The ambition of their «hief led him to make
the country his own. His satellites had at beart notbing so
much as to give him aid. ¥<a their reward he assigned to them
aforehand the offices they were to occupy. They .are disappointed
in their expectation^ and in my quality as the victor, wishing
and veay ardently desiring to promote the happiness of my
native land, penetrated hy what is set forth in the Lord^s Prayer,
* Forgive us our tranagreasions as we forgive those who transgress
against us,' I have publiahed a proclamation by which I grant a
general anmesty. That proclamation is known to yoiL It has
produced the happy result which I promised m3n9elf. The
southern department has returned to its obedience to the laws.
Let us forget that bad men had led it away from duty to gratify
their criminal passions, and let us now conmder only as brothers
those who, through tbeir easy faith, dared to turn their arms
against the flag of the Republic, and against their lawful chief.
I have ordered all citizens to return to their several parishes to
enjoy the benefits of this amnesty. Citizens, not less generoua

128 THE LIFE OF

than myself, let your most precious moments be employed in
causing the past to be forgotten; let all my fellow-dtizenB swear
never to recall the past, let them receiye their misled brethrrai
with open arms; and let them in future be on their guard
Against the traps of bad men.

'' Civil and military authorities|, my task is accomplished. It
now belongs to you to see that harmony is no more troabled.
Do not allow the least reproach on the part of any one against
those who went astray but have returned to their duty. Notwitii-
standing my proclamation, keep an eye on the bad and do not
spare them. The man is unjust, he is inclined to evil rather
than good. Firmly put down his perverse designs, and never
close your eyes on his conduct and his proceedings. Hononr
should guide you all. The interests of our country require it ;
its prosperity needs peace, true and confiding peace. Such a
peace must be your work. On you solely now depends public
tranquillity in Saint Domingo. Take no rest until yon have
secured it. I expect this from your courage and from your
devotion to the French Republic."

The spirit of moderation, the spirit of mercy itself dictated
these words. Beference to the late troubles was prescribed by a
rigid sense of duty. The reference made in no way exceeds
what the occasion demanded, and falls very short of what the
evil inflicted by the revolt would have justified. It was of ab-
49olute necessity to characterize Bigaud. But how different the
tone of Toussaint L'Ouverture compared with the injurious
epithets lavished in his proclamation by that mulatto leader
against his lawful chief ! But even for the bad L*Ouverture had
forgiveness. How terrible a punishment might he now have in-
flicted on the men of colour ! Had he been open to the preju-
dices of caste and skin, he would have let loose on them the
desire of retribution and the thirst for revenge. One word of
his, and the race would have been nearly extirpated. Not by
their forbearance was he kept from uttering that word; nor by
their softened feelings towards the negroes; nor by a confidence
that they would no more attempt disturbance; but solely by a

TOU8SAINT L'OUVEETUBE. 129

r^pard to his religious duty, and a manly confidence in the right
and the mercifuL

''My task is accomplished.** And yet he had obtained
nothing for himself. The military position he held, as it was
won by the sword, so was it necessary to the work he had per-
formed. It was a burden rather than a recompence— a duty
and an obligation instead of an honour. Not for himself bat
for his country, did he hold the command of the armies of Saint
Domingo. ^' My task is accomplished.** It ie, noble black : it tt
accompHshed, and accomplished well, if only thou lookest to the
wealofHaytL But hast thou no object of thine own? Opposition
can no longer hold up its head. Thy foes are prostrate. Every
eye is turned to thee. Every heart is fixed on thee. Hast thou
nothing to ask for thyself? The crown and sceptre of Hayti?
Nay, frown not. Other successful warriors have taken regal
titles as their due. Nor need thou fear opposition. The
Agent is weak and disesteemed. Bonaparte is reaping laurels in
Italy. England will be prompt to aid thee. Then consider how
much thy race needs elevation. What could so much raise them
from the dust? Tes, thou must, as thou canst, be King of
Hayti; and thy name, glorious for its military deeds, will be
more glorious still as the first of a long line of illustrious
sovereigns of negro blood.

Instead of troubh'ng himself and others in arrangements for
placing on his head the bauble of a crown, Toussaint L*Ouver-
ture turned his attention to the condition of the country.
Hayti was not yet wholly in the power of France. Thou^
formally ceded to the French, the eastern part of the isle
remained under Spanish rule. Not sincere in his wishes to take
possession of Spanish Hayti, Roume had sent forces so incon-
siderable, that liiey were easily defeated. On their return* he
revoked his order for its occupation. On learning the fact,
L*Ouverture was indignant. Was slavery, then, in its worst
form, to be established and acknowledged in Hayti ? Was the
Government to be an assenting; if not a concurring, party?
And were all his own labours and sacrifices to be thus frus-
trated? Frustrated by low self-interest and base intrigues?

K

THE LIFE 07

130

Could he, who had conquered freedom for the negroes,
their chiliiren to be kidnapped and transported to straiigB
Goontries and foreign lands, there to be degraded and ruined J
Impofisible ! Yet Huch whs the alternative, if Rounie retained
poBBeSBion of the civil govemiucnt : for be had tried what could
be done in this mutter with Houme by argament and nioial
influence. The eSbrt had failed, and now Roume bad availed
himaelf of his absence, and his absorption in military duties, to
reverse a policy in which they hod in council come to an under-
standing. Besides, be had proved himself uniaitliful to France,
by virtually surrendering a portion of bis rightful jMisseadoiu.
In auch hands, power couJd not be safely trusted. And, doi
lest), the home government would thank him if Toi
cated ita righta and secured ita ten-itory.

Actuated by those considerations, Toiissaint Ii'Ouvertnrv
arrested Roume, and sent him to Dondon. On the occasion, be
issued this addreaa : —

" Tousaaint L'Onverture, General-in-Chief of his
citizens.

"The duties of the office held by Citizen Roume wen
quality of repreeentotive of the French Government, to otm-
secrate his moral and physical faculties to the happiness of Saint
Domingo and to ita prosperity. Very &r &om doing so, he
took council only of the intriguers by whom he was surrounded,
to sow discord amongst ub. and to foment the troubles which
have not ceased to agitate society. However, in spite of the
colamoies which he has continuuUy thrown out against m)rGetf
in his letters to France and Santo Domingo, he shall be pro-
tected from every penalty. But my respect for his character
must not prevent me Stoia taking the proper steps in order to
deprive him of the power of again plotting against the tran-
quillity which, alter so many revolutionary concussions, I have
juat had the happiness to eatabliah. In consequence, and
order to isolitte him from the intriguers who have kept
their sbacklei^ and to respond to the complaints made
to bjm by all the parishes, the brigadier-general Moyso

tviaj^H
rertnrv

fellM^H
in V^^^^

and U-^H
himUH

T0US8ADIT l'oUYEBTURE. 131

sappl J the said Citizen Roume with two carriages and a sure
eacort) which^ with all respect due to his character, will oondoci
Kiwi to the village of Dondcm, where he will remain until the
French Goyemxnent shall recall him to render an account of
his administration.

" At Cap Fran^ais, 5 Frimaire (26 Nov.), the ninth year (1800)
of the French Republic, one and indivisible,

« The General-in-Chief, Toussaint L'Ouvertuke.*'

Romne remained a prisoner at Dondon for several months,
and then was permitted by L'Ouverture to return to France by
way of the United States.

As soon as he had removed the impediment, Toussaint
UOuverture took effectual steps for putting down the slave-
trade, and occupying the east of the island. After a few shots,
he entered Santo Domingo on the 2nd of Januaiy, 1801, at the
head of 10,000 men, and hoisted the flag of the French Republic
on its ramparts to the salvo of two-and-twenty cannon. He was
received at the mansion-house by the chief authorities, who
wished him to take, in the name of the Holy Trinity, an oath
to govern with wisdom. " Such a course would be proper," he
replied, '' in an officer appointed by the court of Madrid ; but
I am the servant of the Republic. Therefore, I am unable to
do what you ask; but I swear solemnly before God, who hears
the oath, that I forget the past, and that my watchings and m}-
cares shall have no other object than to render the Spaniards,
now become Frenchmen, contented and happy.'* On the
utterance of these words, Don Garcia, the governor, handed him
the keys of the city. ''I accept them,*" said Toussaint, ''in
the name of the French Republic;** and then turning towards
the assembly, he added, with an humble voice, '' let us go and
thank the Author of all things for having crowned with the
greatest success oiu: enterprise, prescribed by treaties and the
laws of the Republic.** Followed by the governor and all the
Spanish authorities, he went to the cathednd, where a Te Deum
was chanted in token of gratitude to God.

Thufl^ from Cape flamana in the east^ to Cape Tiburon in the

K 2

132

■west, the power of TouBB&int L'Ouverture was t
established and acknowledged. Koowing the &vourable effect*
produced ou the ]K)puIar luiud by the progress of distiiiguislied
personages in the parts under their administration, Tousgaint
L'Ouvortnre trayorsed the Spanish territoiy, and visited th«
prinoipal places. He was eveiywhere received with the accla-
mations of the people, the merry jienl of bells, and the thunders
of camion. The olergj-, bare-footed, came on all sfidea tn give
him welcome. He treated them with profound respect. WitHn
& few days he was master of the obedience of the Spaniards as
much as of the confidence of the blacks.

The union of the Spanish to the French part of Harti pri>-
cured reciprocal advantages, the effects of which soon became
apparent. The French gained fucility in acquiring horses and
mules for the cultivation of the eoil, and the Spaniards finmd
enormous gain in the exportation of its animals, 6ockR, and
homed cattle. The Mack regiments, i-estruncd by Toussaintls
powerful hand, had done but little damage in the invasio^
and those who were Ictl in garrison put large sums of i
in circulation. The elements of French administration whi
followed the troops bestowed on the country new principlee ri
sources of industry and wealth. Magnifia-nt roads were for
Carriages were then for the firat time introduced. Ewn i
horsea, nnder the influence of Touasaint's example, i
their pace. Distances were abridged; tiino was saved;
minds of the people were awakened from torjMir ; nctivi
universally prevailed, and commei-ce and riches began to aboui
Amid tbo general excitement, prosperity, and hope, the cntn
OBsm towards its cause become greater every day, and Tci
saint's name was pronounced with blessings by all tongues

Having given the command of Santo Bomingn to his brotllt
Paul, who hod risen by merit to the rank of brigadier-gencril^l
TousBBint L'Ouverture rettimed to the French part of Hayt^
and fiirthwith applied his mind to the condition and wants of
the island.

He was tliorongbly acquainted with the theatre on which ho
had to act, and the character of tlic people subject to I

T0C8SAINT LOUVEBTURE. 133

power. He took the wisest measures to develope the powers of
the former, and to gain the confidence of the latter. Aware
that he had a mass of prejudices to overcome, and the most
tangled web of interests to set in order, he mingled discretion
mth zeal ; and while aiming at the general weal, forgot not the
deference that might conciliate, nor fiE^led in the bland and
courteous manners that might win. The old colonists he wel-
comed to his presence without familiarity, and showed respect
even to their prejudices, so far as the public good would permit.
The steward of the plantation on which he had himself been a
slave, vegetated in the United States. L'Ouverture being
informed of the fact, wrote him an invitation to return to
Hajti, to put himself '' at the head of the interests of their good
old masters." The letter, conceived in a friendly and urgent
tone, brought back the steward. Toussaint gave him an inters
view, and among other things said to him, ''Return to the
plantation; be just and inflexible; see that the blacks do their
duty in order to add, by your prosperity, to the prosperity of
the land.'*

The discontinuance of the war led to the resumption of agri-
culture. The change from the musket to the hoe was of course
gradual ; but such was the influence and such the determination
of the great black, that ere long the rich cultivable districts
b^;an to put on a smiling aspect, promising riches as well as
abundance. Had the peace continued, the promise would have
been realized in the fullest degree. Forthwith, however, did
the culture of the soil, besides providing for the wants of the
inhabitants, furnish the public treasury with sufiicient resources.
Intelligenoe of the returning prosperity reached foreign lands.
The colonists who were scattered up and down in those lands
saw a ray of hope, and, notwithstanding what they had under-
gone in Saint Domingo, notwithstanding their dislike of the
predominance of the blacks, they invited and gladly accepted
permission to return home and resume possession of their
estates. Their letters coming from various countries, and
u^iaoimouflly expressing oonfideiioe in the mtocn^
of the Qenenl-in-Cnuied^ as wtH p^ ■■»

134 THi LIFE or

I

of his sdminktration, greatly contributed to strengthi
hands aud conGrm hia authority. Scarcely coold a more sat
&ctorj' or a more striking proof be given of the claba of Toua-
Mint to our respect and udmiration than is found in the
readiness with wiiich this cLiss of men embarked their all in
the vessel which he commanded.

The political evils and civil wars that Lad afflicted Saint
Domingo, in causing the expatriation of proprietorE, had in many
caets occasioned the lo^ of traces to the succeasion. Under
TouBsmnt's orders, the property so circumstanced was secured to
military chiefs, and was thus restored to cnltivittion and produo-
tiveuesfl. At the same time, regulations were issued by which
the labourer!! on the estates became a sort of co-proprietors. Ha
had, aforetime, thrown his protection over emigrants, and thereby
had brought on himself difficulty aud suspicion. He now took
into his service subaltern officers of emigrant n^imente, and
ofiered protection to those who were unwilling to join his forces.
Disregarding colour and position in his appointments, he sought
in his fiervanta and fellow-labourers for those who were most
fitted for the duties of the aevenU offices. If his favour
mailed toward any, it was toward thorn of his own blood:
because he loved th«n less, but because, having their ooniidi
he could employ in relation to them a freedom of word
action which might hare been misunderstood by others,
his strong and vivid religions sentiments, he was naturally
prompted to pay special regard to the priests, and to the
interests of region in genenU. Nor, environed as he was bf
men whose senses were the avenues to their afiections, did
n^lect personal appearance. Studious in his attire, be
rounded himself with a numerous guard, in which were
distinguiahed in the olden time. When he went forth in puUiD
he was accompanied hy a splendid retinue which fix«d and
dazsled all eyes. Surrounded by a guard of from fifteen to
eightefn hundred men. brilliantly dad, and baring for Ilia 01
personal n»< a stud containing hundreds of horses, he ap
before the eyes of the jteople in the exterior of a prim
beneath this imposing show, ho himself studied the utmost

^

]

m

TOUSSAINT L*OUYERTXJBE. 135

pHcity. Always temperate, he often carried moderation to absti-
nenoe. His iron £rame received strength chiefly from the deep
and foil resources of his vigorous mind. Master of his soul, he
kad no difficulty in mastering his body. While partaking of
none but the most frngal diet, with water for his drink, and
vegetable preparations for his meat, he rarely slept more than two
hours. The whole eneigy of his life was absorbed and consumed
in the great task which he had undertaken, and which, in truth,
demanded more vital power than even he had to bestow. Though
advanced in life, he was incessantly in movement, and travelled
with a rapidity which defied calculation and excited amazement.
Seeing eveiything with his own eyes, he had little need to rely
on the rq>orts of others, and he at once promoted his indepen-
dence and augmented his power by deriving his policy and his
plans from his own knowledge, and his own meditaitions. Little
should we expect to see such a person addicted to the labours of
the cabinet. Yet in replying, by means of several secretaries, to
two or three hundred letters daily, he seemed to experience a
pleasure as lively as that enjoyed by other men in the satisfection
of the senses.

As the governor of the land, Toussaint L*Ouverture felt it necea-
sary to keep up some kind of state. Like other chief magistrates,
he had his receptions of ceremony, as wdl as his less fermal
audiences. The union of French vanity and negro love of
parade in the foremost people, made him feel the importance of
requiring due attention to appearances and etiquette. Hence
he instituted what bears the name of *^ circles^*" at which all who
were invited were expected to be present. These circles were of
two kinds, the greater and the less. To the greater, fermal
invitations were given. Toussaint himself appeared in the
assemblies in the undress uniform of a general officer. His
simple attire, in the midst of surrounding brilliancy, contrasted
fevourably with the dignified tone which he knew how to main-
tain. When he presented himself, all the company, females as
well as males, arose from their seats. Attentive even to the
proprieties^ he showed his disapproval of any exposure of the
person in female dress. On one ocoMdan, he was aeen to throw

136

THE Lira OP

his Jiandkei-chief over tlie bui'e bosom of a lady. Kttying —
is the beat charm of the sex." After ha-vrng made the tour a
the haU, and spoken to ovoiyboily, he withdrew hy the d[>or at
which he eatered, bowing right and left to the com|Huiy. The
less circles were public audiencee, which took place i
eTBning. At these, Toussoiut L'Ouvei'ture appeared clad li
the ancient proprietors when, on their plantations. All 1
citizens entered the grand Eialoon, and were, irreBpectively I
rank and position, addressed by the governor as convenieii
served. After having gone wund the room,- he retired, i
took with him into a small ajiartment in front <
chamber, which he lued as a study, the persons with whom ]
wished to converse mure freely and more at length. The greaM
number of these were the chief whites of the colony. Th(
seating himself, he requested all others to be seated. Thea ho
proceeded to talk with them of France, of his children, of religion,
of his old masters, and of God'i^ grace in giving him liberty and
granting him moans for discharging the duties of the post in
which he had been placed by the mother country. He also
conversed of the progress of agriculture, of commerce, and never
of political concerns : he questioned each respecting his own
private afiairs, and of his family, and appeared to take au interest
in the several matters. With mothers, he spoke of their children,
and inquired whether they attended to their religious education ;
and the yomig he would sometimes briefly examine in their
cfttechisnL When he wished to pat an end to the audience^ he
arose, and bowed. The comjiany then retired, being attended
by him to the door. As they left, he appointed times for
special interWews with those who made the request. Then he
shut himself up with his private secretaries, and commonly con-
tinued his labours far into the night.

In this practical regard to show and parade, L'Ouvertui
may have been influenced by his own personal defects,
in person, he was of a repulsive ospect, and having a difficv
utterance, he spoke with as little elegance as grammar.
his were words of power, for they came from a strong soul, a;
wore the heralds of a resolute wilL A man of few word^ t

TOUBSAiirr l'ouyebture. 137

powerfhl imagination, he sometimes uttered his ideas in jmrables
— ^the rather that in such a form he could the more effectually
imprint them on the minds of the rude natures with which he
had to deal On more occasions than one, he took a glass vase,
and, having filled it with grains of black maize, he put therein
some grains of white maize, and said — *' You are the black maize ;
the whites, who would enslave you, are the white maize.*' He
then abock, the glass, and, placing it before their eyes, he cried, as
if inspired, *' See the white ones only here and there.**

The army, Toussaint L'Ouverture kept under the most vigorous
discipline. Every breach of duty was severely punished. £ven
during the civil wars, plunder was restricted as much as possible.
He was, however, adored by his soldiers.

Scarcely less was the veneration paid him by other members
of Haytian life. He won and enjoyed the esteem of the colonists ;
he was valued highly by the ministers of religion; by the blacks
he was regarded as a messenger of God. £ven the mulattoes
b^an to look to him with hope and respect.

The confidence which Toussaint inspired, soon produced good
e£fect8 in the colony. The lands once more cultivated, and culti-
vated under judicious regulations, became productive, and, as of
old, poured forth abundance and wealth. With the spread of
industry and the increase of riches, population, which had been
greatly diminished in the wars, recovered its impulse and aug-
mented its numbers. A large and prosperous people restored
the churches, which had been biunt or allowed to become dilapi-
dated, decorated the cities with fine buildings, enriched the
public treasury, cultivated the arts, and, ere long, indulged in
luxury. The general intelligence was raised, and manners were
refined. Human nature vindicated itself against its calumnia-
tors : for in a short time, after a period of frightful wasting, the
black state of Hayti could endure a comparison with the higher
forms of white and European civilization. There was at the
Cape, under the name of the H6tel de la fl6publique, an inn, the
exterior and interior splendour of which scarcely yielded to the
richest establishments of the kind in any part of the world. It
was finequented by the principal blacks and by the Americans

138 THE LIFE OF

of the continent. There mere etiquette was unknown ; the most
perfect equality prevailed. At the same table sat private indi-
vidualB and the heads of the state, officers of every rank, men of
all conditions. It was frequently visited by UOuverture, who
took his place^ without preference, in any vacant seat: for he
often said that distinction of rank ought to exist only in the
moment of public service.

Travellers who visited the island at the beginning of the pre-
sent century, warriors who played a part in the events of that
epoch, agree in declaring that in the society of Saint Domingo
the men were polite and the women easy and elegant; that tlie
relations between the sexes lacked neither attraction nor dignity,
and that the prejudices of colour seemed to have lost their
former power. The theatre came into vogue; the greater
number of the new actors were blacks, and some of them gave
proof of talent in comedy and in pantomime. A taste £or music
became general; the guitar was specially cultivated. Men of
negro and mulatto blood not only formed the bulk of the popa*
lation, but occupied the higher positions. Even the moat im-
portant duties of the administration were in their hands. Tet
life went forward with ease and efficiency. Eeligion was
honoured. Morals were at least not inferior to what they are
in white society. The arts were cultivated. The el^ancea of
life were not unknown. Among men and women who had but
recently quitted the brutalizing condition of servitude, an ability
and a refinement were observed, which you sometimes look for
in vain among men who have the reputation of being highly
cultivated.

TOUSSAIHT L'OUYSRTUSK 15^

CHAPTER XV.

TiMMrint L'OaTOTliire takes meMarw for the perpetuation of tbe happj oon-
ditkm of SjkjH, ipeekU j by pnblkhinf the dnft of a Conetitotioii in wkatlk
he if named goTemor for life, and Um great docteine of ^VM-truie is
explicitly proclaimed.

This luippy condition had no goanntee of permanence. Tme,
an was tranqnil within the borders of Ha jtL One after another
had Tonssaint L'Onverture removed hindrances out of the way,
until he had succeeded in establishing a universal accord. But
would the harmony endure? Its continuance was essential to
the full developement of the resources of the colony; and, to all
appearance, that continuance was the sole prerequistte. As
yet, however, there had been no general recogniticm of the
established order. If all were to work for the general good, all
■mat concur in the formation and acknowledgment of a consti-
tution by which the established order might be perpetuated.

In bringing that constitution into existence, and giving it the
foroe of law, three powers must concur. These three powers
were the inhabitants of Hayti, France, and Toussaint himsel£
Saif-govemment was a recognised right of the colony. The con-
emrrence of France was equally an admitted &ct in the colonial
government, and L'Ouverture held, under the authority of the
mother country, the highest functions in the island. When the
question of a constitution assumed a practical shape, it became
linportant to determine with which of these three authorities
the initiative should lie. Was the colony to look to France 1
That question involved another, — ^was France sincere in her
acknowledgment of negro fi'eedom ? France appeared unworthy
of trust. The last deq>atches on the matter of a code of laws
foT Hayti wore a sui^idous aspect, and were generally disliked.
And if France wished to give the colony a good code of laws,
had she the power? How could the requisite knowledge be
possessed by a kgialatare which sat thousands of mike diatant

politan gi^vCQ^^I

140 THE LIFE OF

from those wlio were to uhvy thu liiws ? M'^ti-apolitan g
meat for colonial dejienJenciea is full of evils, axiaiug nut onjj
from ignorance and incompetence, but intrigue and comiptiou.
Beside, Bonaparte waa now the sole legislative and tlie boId
niling power in. France. The jxiaition which Louis XIV. had
faucied himself to posse^ when lie decluivd himself tu ho the
state — " L'^tat, c'est moi," — the Coi-aicau adveutui'er hnd fully
realized. The ruling ^rnssion nf Bonaparte was ambition; lus
meaos, resort to force. What ha^.! the colony to expect but o,
eaap fTelat similar to that which had just suppressed the Direc-
tory and cDucentntted all power in the bauds of the first counil I
The thought is sold to have disturbed the short horn's of Tous-
saint's repose. The probabilitywaa, that the conqueror of Italy
only waitetl the moment of necessary leiswe, aad that moment,
as the event afterwards showetl, might shortly arrive. Unde-
sirable was it, therefore, to leave the initiative witb B'rauce.
The colony itself must act. Indeed, the colony only could act
witb wisdom and efiect. " But in so doing the colony was
setting up for independeDce." To take the first step in drawing
up a constitution cannot be justly so chai-acterized. A draft of
a constitution was only a species of petition. Until sanctioned
by legislation, it amounted to nothing more than a bill of rights.
It did no more than say, '' Here is a formal statement of what
will suit us, what will consolitlat^ and augment our exibting
weal, what we entreat yon to send bock with the seal of youi-
solemn sanction." And were Kuch a titep a step towards iud&-
pondence, who can blame it I If the colony had acquired
strength enough to run alone, why ahoiJd it remain ui leoding-
striiiga } Nay, the desire for independence, if cherished, was »
worthy feeling, tiuch a desire showed that black men could
appreciate liberty, and well deserved the degi-ee of freedom they
had already gained. The rather was a cautious a]>proacL to
independence praiseworthy, because tokens were not wanting
that Bonaparte, in his ambitious passions, had grown impatient
of the ascendancy of tiie great negro Haytian. Resolved to be
master of the world, he could not endure a rival power, and
watched his opportunity to establish his supremacy ii

TOUBSUin' L'OUTERTUltE. 141

The rather was he desirous of establishing the exclusive role of
i^nuice there, because Hayti, he felt, could be made a bulwark
£>r hostile operations against the English power in the West
Ixidies.

Tet was the colony passively and quietly to await the blow 1
What was this but to invite the blow ? Whereas, to propound
a constitution while it ought to give no offence, would prove that
the Haytians were sensible alike of their rights and of their
power. In the great issue, Toussaint had himself a problem to
solva I^ as he had reason to fear, Bonaparte intended his over-
throw, was he to submit without an effort ? Was he not, as a
prudent man and a wise legislator, to enter on such a course, as
seemed most likely to ward off the blow, and strengthen his own
position ? As to the necessity of Ins continuing to hold that
position, he could not for a moment doubt. The retention of
the position was indispensable to the continuance of the peace in
the island. As all mountains had become plains before his
energy and determination, so would all be undone, if he were
removed from the head of affairs; once more the smouldering
fires of passion and prejudice would burst into a flame, and a war
arise not less bloody and terrific than that which he had so
recently brought to a happy conclusion. Yes; there, at the
helm, had he been placed by the resistless stream of events, or
what to him, nor without reason, seemed the hand of Providence;
and there duty, in the clearest and loudest tones, called upon him
to remain. This is, in substance, the feeling to which at this
titae he gave utterance in these terms : '^ I have taken my flight
in the region of eagles ; I must be prudent in alighting on the
earth : I can be placed only on a rock ; and that rock must be a
constitutional government, which will secure me power so long
as I shall be among men.** Yes, if in any case, certainly in
Toussaint L'Ouverture's was a constitutional dictatorship of in-
dispensable necessity. Rightly did he interpret his position, and
-well did he understand his duties. This new Moses had brought
liis people out of Egyptian bondage, and must now give them a
code of laws, over the execution of which, for the few remaining
years of his life, it is his most solcnm duty to watch. Such con-

U2 THE UFB or

Jnct asks no defenoe. and admits no escnEe. It is poaitivelyM
highly virtuoiw, and any other course would have been a btf-
trayal of a sacred duty, a breach of a momentous trust.

Again the hour of temptation has come. The \-ictorkwi8
general who commands univei'sal obedience and enjoys univcurBal
respect may become a precideat or a sovereign. The good prin-
ciple coiiquei-3 ; ^atan is dismissed with a rebuke ; the crowu is
refused, the presidency is deliberately chosen.

Does the i-eader think of Washington, who. when he might
possibly liavo become a king, became a private citizen t We aro
not sure that Washington's means for establishing a throne iu
the midat of the high-minded republicans of the Anglo&ixon
race were equal to thoso which Toussaint poaseSBed among the
uncultured and recently liberatc<l Haytiana, whom nature loade
Jbud of parade, and custom had habituated to royalty. The
greater tlte opjtortimity, the greater the temptation; nor can he
be accounted the inferior man who overcame in the severer
trial Nor mast it be forgotten, that white Waahingtou could,
with confidence and safety, leave his aasociates to their own well-
tried and well-matured powers of self-government, L'Ouverture
had, in comparison, but children to deal with and provide for.
Would it have been either prudent or benevolent to retire from
the oversight of those children at the very moment when they
hail ceased to do evil and were learning to do well 1 Clearly,
fluty, in the most solemn and emphatic tones, demanded the oon-
tinnoDce of that fatherly care which had rescued thoHc babes in
intellect from impendiug ruin, and so lar led them toward the
attjuiiment of individual strength and social escelleuce. Yes,
Toussaiut L'Ouvertiire, an eagle thou hast proved thyself to bej
an eagle's eye shows thee distant but coming realities ; may tliino
CJigle'a pinion bear thee above danger, and place thee, where thou
longest to be, " on a rock,"— the rock of a wisely constituted and
well governed commonwealth ! Thea, like thy Hebrew prototype,
when at last thou descriest the promised land, and while tbua
contemplatest its fertility and loveliness, Lhou mayost deport
from "among men," filing to sleep in thy loUy eytie^ oJui

TOU88ACIT l'OUTEBTURE. 143

Iraned cm the mountain, which shtll be at onoe thy sepulchre
and thy monmnent.

We do not poBsess the materuds to determine whether the
idea of drawing up a constitution for Hayti originated with
Tonssaint L'Oaverture himself^ or was presented to him as the
proper course by his colonial advisers. The determination of
the question is of the less consequence since, beyond a doubt^
unanimity prevailed to a very great extent between the general*
in-chief and the principal authorities and persons in the island.
One parfyy and but one, evinced repugnance to the measure.
The small number who represented the views of Bonaparte in
the colony were naturally adverse to the constitution. At their
bead was Brigadier-G^eral Vincent, who employed the influence
which excellence of character justly gave him with L*Ouverture
to torn him aside from the project. The effort proved nugatory.

Hesolved to persevere in a course which his judgment approved,
and his position required, Toussaint KOuverture, as possessing
the highest authority in the island, called together a council to
take into consideration the propriety of drawing up a constitu-
tion, and to determine what its provisions should be. The coun*
cil consisted of nine members. The composition of this delibe-
rative assembly displays the integrity of the general-in-chief.
He mi^t have formed it out of his officers. He might have
given predominance in it to negro blood. These things, doubt-
less, he would have done, had he sought his own aggrandize-
ment. But he chose its members among the men of property
and intelligence. Of the nine members, eight were white pro-
prietors, and one a mulatto ; not a single black had a seat at the
conncil-board. Even the purest patriotism might have required
him to place himself at the head of the council Its preiudent
was the white colonist Borgella, who had held the office of mayor
of Port-au-Prince. The constitution, carefully prepared by this
oouncily was presented to Toussaint L'Ouverture, who, having
approved it (May 19th, 1800), sent a copy by the hands of
General Yincent to Europe. The draft was accompanied by the
following letter, addressed to " Citizen Bonaparte^ FvaA Consul
of the Franch Bepoblic (16th July)."

144 THE LI7X OF

1

in the Bt^co^^^H
tuBtion of thiB

" Citizen Consul, — The Minister of Marine, ii
■which he has rendered to you of the political aituntion i
colony, which I have taken care to acquaint him with in the dea-
jiatchea which I addressad to him. sent by the corvett* L'Si^ani
frodigw. will have aiibraitted to you my proclamation, convening
a central asaomhly, which, at the moment when the junction of the
Spanish part to the French part had inadc of Saint Domingo one
single country, subject to the same government, should fix it«
deetiniea by wiHe laws, frajned with special reference to the
loctilities and the characters of the inhabitants. I have now tJte
Batiafaction to announce to you, that the last hand has been put
to that work, and that the result is a constitution which promises
happiness to the inliabitants of this colony, which has so long
been unfortunate. I hasten to lay it before yon for your appro-
bation, and for the sanction of the government T sorve. With
this view, I send to you citizen Vincent, gt^neral director of
fortiticatious at Saint Domingo, to whom I have confided tbis
precious deposit. The central aasembly, in the absence of bws.
and considering the ncceaaity which exists of substituting the
rule of law for anarchy, having demanded that I should pro-
■viwonally ]>ut it into execution, as promising to conduct the
colony more rapidly towards prosperity, 1 have yielded to its
desires; and this constitution has been welcomed by all classes of
citizens with transportB of joy, which will not ikit to be mani-
fested a&cah, when it shall be sent back invested with the
sanction of the government. With salutations and profoimd
''^'''P^'' Tou3SAiirr L'Oin*EHTuaE."

This constitution, which bad been made public and accepted
amid solemn formalities and uuivei'sal joy, was woHliy of the
cause in which L'Ouverture hail risked his life and emjiloyed
the utmost of his strength. Proceeding on the basis that davery
was abolished and oould never more exist in Sitint Domingo, and
that all men there born were free citizens of the French Re-
pubbc, it provided that every one, whatever his colour, was
admissible to all employments, on the special ground that amcDg

3 cittscus there was do other distinction than the distil

ToussAiirr louvertube. 145

of virtue and of ability. EstabUahing Roman Catholicism as the
laole religion to be professed and protected, it recognised the
sianctity of marriage by abolishing divorce. It required that
agriculture should receive special encouragement, for which
purpose measures were to be taken for the increase of the number
of labourers. The reins of government it entrusted to one
governor, to be appointed for the period of five years, with au-
thority to prolong the term as a recompence of good conduct ;
and that *'in consideration of the important services which
General Toussaint L'Ouverture has rendered to the colony, he is
named Governor for life, with power to choose his successor.*'

One provision we have advisedly omitted in order to bring it
into full relief In a very short sentence the constitution de*
clares commerce free. Thus free trade was first proclaimed by the
n^;ro chief of HaytL Is any other proof necessary that Tons*
saint was mcwe than a successful warrior? more than a social
liberator? more than a disinterested patriot? His economical
views were large and liberal They were in advance of their
age ; how much in advance let the flstct declare, that nearly half
a century had to elapse before even England obtained the boon
which Hayti not only claimed but decreed. Yet what w&&
there in Toussaint KOuverture which may not be found in other
n^px^es? His sole external advantage was that he received
some rudimental instruction in the simple arts of reading and
writing. Give that advantage to the myriads of blacks that
now vegetate and pine in slavery in the United States, and
other practical philosophers will appear among them to vindicate
the race by wise laws as well as philanthropy and heroism.
But '' oh, it is not safe." Safe ? yes, much more safe than is the
present course, which does but concentrate the lava of the vol-
cano, which, at no distant day, will burst forth, unless jirecau-
tionary measures are taken, and due preparations be made for
lifting slaves into a condition fit for freedom. Surely this lesson
is taught in the tenor of the preceding narrative.

BOOK II.

rROK THE 7ITTING OUT OF THE EXPEDITIOK BT BOKAPABTB
AGAINST SAINT DOHINGO TO THE 8ITBHISSI0N OF TOnSSAXNT
l/OUVEKTURE.

CHAPTER I.

Peace of Anions — ^BooMparte oontemplatef the ■ubjagatioiL of Snnt Domingo^
and the restoratiQii of ekvery — Exdtemeat eauaod bj repoort to titat eSbet ia
the iflkiid — ^Views of Touaaaint L*OuTerti]re on the point.

The year 1801 did not close without seeing the peace of Amiens
definitively oonclnded. By the treaty then signed, France found
herself confirmed in the possessions she had captured daring the
-war, and at liberty to prosecute any enterprise which she might
judge required by her position, or likely to conduce to the con-
firmation of her power. Her destinies were in the hands of
Napoleon Bonaparte, who, under the modest title of Consul,
concealed designs which already looked to an imperial throne,
and ruled the nation and its dependencies with a sceptre more
powerful and more despotic than the sway of any contempo-
raneous legitimate monarch. Bom with the qualities which
gire and ensure command, Bonaparte, to a boundless ambition,
added a restless activity which constantly prompted new efforts,
a thirst for dominion, which as constantly demanded new acqui-
sitions, and a jealousy of power which made rival greatness
intolerable. With an evil eye, therefore, did he regard the high
position obtained by Toussaint UOuverture through his wise and
generous efforts in the French colony of Saint Domingo. The
brilliancy of his own fame seemed dimmed in his eyes by the
jg^ory achieved by a negro chieftain who had been a slave.

THE LIFE OF TOUBAAXMT L*OUTEBTUSB. 147

The termination of the war had left unoocapied in France a
large body of soldiers, who might be dangerous at home, and
whose leaders, in the repose of paaee, might trouble his actual
position, or prove impediments to his ambitious designs. Diaaatia-
fied with seeing themselves outstripped by a soldior of finiune,
they were ready for political intrigue rather than civil obedi-
ence, and would be most ssfely employed in a distant expedition in
which success would increase the number of his own laurels, and
fiiilure issue in their permanent removal out of his path. That
the dtmate in which he thought of employing them was destruc-
tive to Europeans, was a consideration which could not deter
him, and only added another reason why, on his part, he should
decide in fiivour of the attempt.

Yet if he left Hayti in the hands of Toussaint L'Ouverturc,
he would possess, in an army of thirty thousand black troops
obedient to their actual conmiander, the means of countervailing
the power of Great Britain in the West Indies, and of controlling
its descendants in the United States. The employment, how-
ever, of such an ally seemed scarcely compatible with the dignity
which he aflfocted ; nor was it impossible, if the ruler of Saint
Domingo were left undisturbed in his authority, that he might
assist the absolute independence of the colony, and either by
atigmenting his own power or joining the English, inflict a
heavy blow on the supremacy of France. Then the question of
colonial slavery presented itself for consideration. Should he
recognise or nullify the freedom which existed in Saint Domingo ?
The recognition would bring him no advantage, for Toussaint
and his associates considered their work as accomplished. To
nullify it would secure on his side the sympathies and co-opeir-
tion of the colonists who had lost their estates, and who, re-
gretting their past opulence, and believing its recovery impossible
in the present state of the island, besieged the cabinet of the
Tuilleries with importunities for the restoration of slavery. The
wise and jtust held a different language. Even as a matter of
policy an expedition to Hayti, they urged, was to be deprecated,
for the risk would be very great, and failure would end in dis-
grace. Those who now held power in the island, were men of

L 2

1-lS THE LIFE OP

valour and of great military akill ABadmiuistratoi-Bof th
they enjoyed general sympathy and support, aiid had pi'oved
their ability tiy the prosperity they had t^ed into being. And
while it did not become France, who had gained her own liberty,
to auppi-ess freedom in one of her own colonies, it wa« contrary
to the laws of everlasting right to tear from men that freedom
which they bad purchased with their blood, and, by their
moderation, proved they well deserved. These diveree
occupied the minds and dwelt on the tongiies of men iu Pi
according as position, character, or jiersonat interests sW!
their boaoms. The consul heard them all, and kept shrou*
in his own dark breajst the design which he meditated and was
maturing. At the moment Vincent arrived from Saint Domingo,
be presented the constitution to the conauL Here was tho_
xparb which that sombre genius desired. " He ia i
tdave wbum we must punish ; the honour of Frani
raged." In vuiu was it pleaded before Bonaparte that
ailoption OP lejection of the constitution lay with himself,
that it contained only the expression of the wishes of Toi
and his fellow-labourers, Bonaimrte was too adroit not t
and too skilful not to make the meet of the opportunity
words, which we have just reported, circulated through Pai^
and excited a feeling in favour of war. An expedition was
decided on. And tlic popular fervour was increased when
consul declared in the senate that Toussaint was a brigand
whom it WHS necessary to bring to justice. One voice
agninst the undertaking — a voice in the high places of authoi
The minister Forlait, a man of high cliaracter, attempted
dissuade Bonaparte by setting befure him a picture of the
evitaWe calamities of such an enterprise- He was sUenced
the answer. " There are sixty thousand men that I want to
to a distance."

And so, from tbe most unworthy considerations, an annai
i^piinst a i>cacefnl and flourishing state is to be speedily lil
■>ut. Yet the adventurers call themselves ChrUtious.

robbery on a large scale is such conduct 1 And wlio

TOU88AINT l'OUVERTURE. 149

believe that the man who decreed that robbery, had iu his heart
any genuine love of liberty ?

Once more, Toussaint L'Ouvertoro, must you take the
buckler and draw the sword. The hero of Europe, panting for
conquests in another world, comes against you. Once more
must the broad rich plains of your native land resound with the
clash of hostile armies, and run with human blood. A cloud Ls
on your countenance. Yet let it pass away. Take courage, noble
heart ! The coming struggle is only another step in the path
of freedom. Necessary is the step, or you would not have to
take it. And if the effort is painful, and the pros])ect dark,
weigh well the magnitude of the issues. On the fields of Hayti
the battle of your race will bo fought out. It is before the eye,
not of a few islanders, but of the world, that you are about to
try your strength with the Gallic gladiator, and settle the
question once for all, whether Africans arc men or brutes,
worthy of freedom, or doomed to servitude. Success 1 No, the
settlement of the question depends not on success. You will
perish in the combat, yet will you win ; your cause will triumph
even over your grave. Be just^ and fear not.

Meanwhile, rumours and intelligence brought to Hayti pro-
duced sinister impressions, and disturbed the public mind. It
appeared probable that slavery would be maintained in the French
oolonies of Martinique and Cayenne, and that at Saint Domingo
France would make an effort for its restoration. Fears began
to prevail, disturbances were threatened. Every eye turned to
Toussaint L'Ouverture. On his part, he was not without fore-
bodings, which recently had grown into apprehensions. He had
written to the consul, and received no reply. He felt himself
humiliated. At times tears stole from his eyes when he thought
of the possibility that Bonaparte meant to undo all that he had
done; foreseeing the long train of calamities which would ensue
firom such an attempt, he was now and then for an instant
unmanned, and spoke hasty words. " Bonaparte,** he said, '^ is
wrong not to write to me; he must have lirtCTMrd to my
enemies, otherwise would he refuse ma pcoofr ot filioiit

150 TRB LIFE OF

Me, I say, who haye rendered greater services to France than
any other general? The "Rngliah and Spanish govenmienta
treat with more regard the generals who have signalized them-
selves by services of the first order." His fears and his vexaiioa
became greater, and affected his demeanour in a more marked
manner, when he heard that preliminaries of peace between
England and France had been signed at London. Peace in
Europe he saw foreboded war to £[aytL

What now should be his course ? Should he anticipate the
blow, and prepare for it by proclaiming the independence
of the colony ? By rousing its inhabitants to resistancet, and
marBhalling his forces with his own ability and vigour, ho might
repel even the attack of France when at peace with the world.
And right would such a policy have been. Not impossibly it
would have proved successfuL But L'Ouverture was not pre-
pared to adopt it. Equal to the demands on his courage and
energy which a determination of the kind would make, he was
not equal to the requisite demands on his sense of justice.
Hayti was a French colony; — as a French colony it had gained
its freedom. A free republic would not sanction its subjugation ;
and should Bonaparte attempt to wrest 'Hhe rod of empire" out
of his own hands, he had better lose his power tdian forfeit his
self-respect. Anyway, the duty of the moment was dear; he
must calm men's minds. For that purpose, he issued a procla-
mation (18th Dec. 1801), which, among other things, declared
that it was necessary to receive the orders and the envoys of
the mother country with respect and filial regard. Yet, while
he encouraged obedience, he could not be insensible to the pos-
sibility that resistance might be his duty. He was, therefore,
under an obligation to foster the means of resistance, and not
only to appear confident himself but to keep up the spirits of
his soldiers. This twofold state of mind is seen in words which
he uttared finom time to time, as in these : — ** A well-educated
child owns submission and obedience to his mother; but if that
mother becomes so unnatural as to seek the ruin of her child,
the child most look for justice with Him to whom vengeance

TOUSSADTT L*OnTKBTUBE. 151

belongs. If I must di^ I will die as a brave soldier^ as a man.
of konoar. I fear no one.*'

It did not escape the eye of those who, havixig acoeas to the
preaidenty OMrrowlj watched him, that the agitation of his mind
increased, and had risen to a great height. Catching alarm
finmi these symptoms, some b^an to take measmres for qoitting
the island. One of the most distingoished Creoles of Port-an-
Prinoe^ and who afterwards settled in France, was of the nimiber.
He one day asked Tonssoint in private for a passport, in order to
proceed to the mother country. The unexpected request dis-
turbed the president. Hastening to the door, to ascertain if
he could reckon on their not being disturbed, he iqieedily
returned and asked, looking his companion fixedly in the £eu»,
" Why do you wish to go away I You, whom I esteem and
loveT '' Because I am white, and because, notwithstanding
the good fediings you have for me, I see that you are on the eve
of being the irritated chief of the blacks, and that within these
few days you are no longer the protector of the whites, since
you have just sent out of the ishmd several for having expressed
joy thai the Europeans were about to come to Saint Domingo.**
^ Yea^" replied Touasaint, with warmth, ''they have had the
inq>rudenoe and lolly to rejoice at such news, as if the expe-
dition was not destined to destroy me — ^to destroy the whites —
to destroy the colony. In Fiance I am represented as an
independent power, and therefore they are arming against me.
— ^Against me, who refused Creneral Maitland to establish my
independence under the protection of England, and who always
rejected the proposals which Sonthonax made on the subject.
Since, however, you wish to set out for France, I consent to it;
but, at least, let your voyage be useful to the colony. I will
send by you letters to the first consul, and I will entreat him to
listen to you. Make him acquainted with me; make him
aequainted with the prosperous state of the agriculture and the
commerce of the colony ; in a word, let him know what I have
dona It is according to all that I have done here that I
ought, and that I wish to be judged. Twenty times have I
written to Bonaparte, to ask him to send civil commissioners,

152 THE LIFE OF

to tell bim to despatch hither the old colonists^ whites instructed
in administering public afiairs, good machinists, good workmen ;
he has never replied. Suddenly he avails himself of the peace
(of which he has not deigned to inform me, and which I learn
only through the English) in order to direct against me a
formidable expedition, in the ranks of which I see my personal
enemies, and people injurious to the colony, whom I sent away.
Come to me within four-and-twenty hours. Very ardently do
I wish that you and my letters may arrive in time to make
the £rst consul change his determination, and to make him
sensible that in ruining me he ruins the blacks — he ruins not
only Saint Domingo, but abo all the western colonies. If
Bonaparte is the first man in France, Toussaint is the fiirst man
in the Archipelago of the Antilles.'' After a moment of
reflection, he added, in a firm tone, '^ I was going to treat with
the Americans and the English to procure me twenty thousand
blacks from the coast, but I had no other object than to make
soldiers of them for ^France. I know the perfidy of the English.
T am imder no obligation to them for the information they give
me as to the expedition coming to Saint Domingo. No ! never
will I arm for them ! I took up arms for the freedom of my
colour, which France alone proclaimed, but which she has no
right to nullify. Our liberty is no longer in her hands; it is
our own ! We will defend it or perish."

CHAPTER II.

Bonaparte cannot be turned from undertaking an expedition against Toussaint- •
Besolyes on the enterprise in order chicflj to get rid of his republican asso-
ciates in arms — ^Restores slaverj and the slave-trade — Exeats Hajti from the
decree — Misleads Toussainf s sons — D^ipatches an armament under Leclcrc.

Ik vain was it that Vincent, who had attempted to dissuade
Toussaint against the adventure of a constitution, now employed
his honest and prudent arguments to turn aside Bonaparte fi:om

tlie intoided ezpeditioii agiiiiss Sgont l\>min|p\ l>U«>[^v%lll\\i
of the eflfect which his advice iiii|:ht har^mi hiinw^t hi» u^V^I %w\
the oonmil that the Tictonoos warrii^rs of Kuro|v wi^ukl \\m^ i\\pW
enorgy, together with their strength* untier tho oltui«t<« of \\\p
Antillffl ; that such a climate would anniliilato tho lirtity, vtt^\ \t
the aaoendancj of Toussaint KOuvertuit^ o\*or tho UilmhiinuU
did not succeed in destrojiDgit by arms ; ho oddotl i\\v tHumitW
ation of the probability that the English would o)>i«nly m* MHiH l,\
endeavour to traverse his object, and fruHtraU^ bin nttimipl. 'INi
the last remark Bonaparte answcn^d — ** Tho c«ibino( (»f Hi. tliMfti«ii'rt
has been disposed to set itself in op]ioMitit)n to my mttidtiijif n
squadron to Saint Domiugo ; I have notiiiml to it, tliitt If It did
not consent, I would send to TouKsaint iinlitiiittMl iHiwnrtt, nw\ fli>
knowledge him as independent, it him mu\ no mirrti in um mt Hm*
point." Kthis is correct, Kngland, it umy Ui |rrpKiirfi«wl, w^n
influenced by fear for the efTectrf (tf mwh a rfiv>$(niti/^f tut l»/*f
neighbouring slave colony of Janiai/ai. Tlitts thttm wnmu m^$\t
port wrong. Having efiected ii(fih'iut( in tumftrmUum, VU9f'4'tti
addreaaed to the consul a wntti;n /l/^nirn^it^ $$t wfi )/•(», ttt^^^t^
setting forth the means of tbrftrntj; wbi/;h th^ f^/fUmy [nt mm ^m*},
he said — ^ At the bead of so many nwrntft^ m a nmu tM tn^^
active and inde&tigaMe th*t n^ y^WAy }f*i 'tiwtictff^l th ftm^
be strictly mad^ thst he in ev^rywh^nr^ ; atf^l fmf0'^M\f tth f h^ tyA
where sound judgnwAt and ^tmn^rnr wz-ivvM my tht^t M ^mw^vk^
is most eaKDtial ; kw jjwa* ftv«'/l*rA#>i^, K»4 ^•pwat, p^^^Vftr^ */^
himself of never ae^it^f /^af- tJv* .>d7J«Vrt«^A >va jmm ^,# f»Am j^
aUe to rtmaoAVD^ 'jsi^^r^r,^ f^^. ^sttAt^, n^^ Wf^^'4^\m. //tytM^';* ,
of R|4yiiij^ to a. linndv^ i<^f>*r-< --at/ 'I*-/, ^m** ^/ h»r>i ♦*«►*■♦ v
fiitiguing fbe 4ei!r>>r.«>r>>» , i»mr-* -r^'«lK ^"^ 4fiU 'vf 9vm>viv^ ****;
decerviBg «7*»r7'vvrty. ^tarr^^ri .^7**i» a '!*»/»/»'•■ f^^ir^ ;*>yy> ^ ^v^t^ v,
siqwrior Vj ail trvmj( Aim. *J»fl»t .iu«pA/»^ jk^\ m\^w^f^ t** "*'
the exEesc 'jf Sutar4is«Tn ,n * •«»•/ ;ifj^'»i*«' ;>tifT»|yv|» // p/,*v^* .*

over an Miannnr- jukw -i.i> »^,/i n/n*^** y„^.tf« ^y^wW./'.ri .y ^^.^/.-/i

154

THE UTK OF

however, the uuinljer among the blaoka in very ^nuill, 1
icar the cxteat to which hin views proceed." Bonape
displeased at the fnuiknesa of these n^iTesentationa, and h
Vincent, their author, to the iHlnnd of Eiha, whitber, :
period he was himself tu be hftniuhed.

Besolved to di»eniliaiTass biiaself of the veterans iii unKm
with whom he h&d gaineil his renown, but who now from tboir
strong republican K^mpathit^ blocked Up hia way to the imperial
tlironf, he called a council to deliberate on the most effectusl
means to be takMt in order to bring Toussaiot under his yoke.
The menii)era of the council were, of ooiirEe, Bonaparte's
tuns. Their desire to please the roa! sovereign of the landv
stronger than their pivibssed attachment to liberty. The a
cillow recommended the employment of force in order to n
hlish slavery; alarge number proposed, that for thesake of tei
those whom they cliuracteiized as "the guilty" should be
decintated. Tlie bishop of filois, Gregory, that immortal friend
of the cftuso of the bUcks, liad not given hia opinion. '■ What do
yon think on the matter 1" asked the consul. " I think," he
rephud, " that the heai-ing of such ispeeches sufiicea to show that
tbey are uttered by whitt«; if these gentlemen were J
moment to change colour, tbey would talk di^rently.''
re«turatiun of slavery was resolved in the legislative body tl|
vot* of two hundrod-and-twelvc against sixty-fii-e. Such nj
the love of Frenchmen for liberty, for the rights of man, foQ
rights of their fellow-citizeiis, for the freedom of the black p
lation of Hayti. Tbe determination of itaelf justifies
pursued by Tounaint L'Ouverture. His coui!titution maypi
an ineffectual gimraiitee of the hardly-earned lihertics of bis colour,
but clearly it afforded the only feaaible chance of perpetuating
the good he had wrought out.

On the 20th of May, 1801, Bonaparte published the iufamo>iiB
decree which replaced the French colonies in the state iu whiofe^
they were before the year 1789,and which, authoriring tfaes]
trade, abrogntod all laws to the contmty. This e^ieerable n
nuvki the real character of the Coracan adventurer, a
hia name down to jiuaterity covered Tith disgrace

tea on^

land^H

fhee^^l

>uld be
d friend
Vhatdo
ink," he
owthat
^re ^^—

ng tfaefl]g|^_
iblemeM^^H
r, and^^H

TOITSSAUTT l'OUYSBTURE. 155

ever, did lie find that in an evil honr he had overstepped
the limits of pradence ; and therefore he put forth another decree
which hypocritically excepted Saint Domingo and Goadaloupe,
** because these islands are firee, not only by right, but in £EM;t —
whilst the other colonies arc actually in slavery, and it would be
dangerous to put an end to that state of things."

The preparation of the public mind for the imjust and wicked
attempt to put down liberty in Saint Domingo, was aided by the
less obvious but powerful efforts, not only of the oolonistsin general,
but by the mulattoes who dwelt at Paris, of whom Rigaud may
be considered as the head. Overcome and exiled by Toussaint,
Rigaud panted for revenge. In that vindictive sentiment, he
well re p resented his race, who could not forgive the black pre-
sident for having extorted the freedom of his colour out of their
hand*.

There were in Paris two young men who looked on the
arrangements for the expedition which they saw everywhere
proceeding, with anxiety and alarm. These were Isaac and
Placide L'Ouverture, sons of the liberator of Hayti, whom, as a
testimony of his confidence, and a pledge of his fidelity, their
fiEither had sent to Paris for theii* education. They both re-
sided in the College La Marche, of which Goasnon was the prin-
cipaL The consul judged it politic to throw a veil over their
eyes. Intending to destroy the father, he had no scruples of
conscience about deluding the sons. Coasnon, their teacher,
being gained over, assured the young men that the French
go'Vemment had none but pacific views. A few days afterwards,
be received a letter from the Minister of Marine, apprising him
that the consul wished to see and converse with his pupilii
before their departure. Repairing to the minister's residence,
they received in the presence of Coasnon a confirmation of his
statement that the intentions of the government were of a
friendly nature. They were then conducted to Bonaparte, who,
the better to conceal his real purposes, received them in a flat-
tering manner. Having ascertained which of the two was
To as sa int 's own son, he said to him : — " Your fitther is a great
man; he has rendered eminent services to France. Yon will

156 THE LIFE OF

tell him that I, the first magistrate of the French people, promia^
him protection, glory, and honour. Do not think that France hv-
tends to carry war to Saint Domingo ; the army which it sends
thither is destined not to attack the troops of the country, bnt
to augment their numbers. Here is General Leclerc, my
brother-in-law, whom I have appointed Captain-Greneral, and
who will command that armament. Orders have been gtvtm
for you to arrive at Saint Domingo a fortnight before thib
fleet, to announce to your father the coming of the expedition.*
On the next day, the delusion was carried still &rther, for
the Minister of Marine, as a kind of practical assurance
how well Toussaint and his children stood with the highest
authorities, entertained the young men at a magnificent repaat;
and shortly after, in order to complete the farce by an appeal
to negro vanity, he, in the name of his government, presented to
them a superb suit of armour, and a rich and brilliant military
costume.

It scarcely needs be stated that the promise that the youths
should have time to assure their father of the pacific intentions
of France, was not observed. Having answered its momentaiy
purpose, it was openly and deliberately violated. The real
design of all this collusion was that, misled by the reports of his
sons in Paris, Toussaint L*Ouverture might be taken off his
guard. Alas 1 that in the crisis of his fate, he should have given
credit to men who blushed not to deal in falsehood.

It has already ap2>eared from the consul's own words, that he
had chosen Leclerc, who was the husband of his sister Fauliii^,
to be at the head of the expedition. Bonaparte was mH
pleased to have the opportunity of separating himself ftmn
Leclerc, whom he regarded as a relative little worthy of llis
present and his future greatness. The obscure birth of Leclere
in the small town of Fontoise, disquieted his pride. Every day
there came to Faris persons of low condition who gave them-
selves out as relatives of the consul's sister. That aislcr
possessed so rare a beauty, that Canova reproduced her featunto
in his statue of Venus Victrix, Victorious Venus. To peraoQil
cliarms she added subtlety and grace of mind. Her looks

TOUSaAINT l'ouvebtube. 157

awakened desires in the most indifferent hearts. She gathered
around her all the artifices of voluptuousness. In h^ furniture
she was luxurious; elegant in her personal decorations, and
choice in the persons attached to her suite. She was attended
by painters, musicians, and buffoons. Pauline accompanied her
husband in the expedition. Leclerc was small in stature, but he
had viyacity of mind and grace of manner. In countenance he
was thought to bear some resemblance to the consul Though
lie had showed some courage and perseverance in the campaigns
of the Alps and the Rhine, he was little else than the blind
instrument of his brother-in-law, whom he imitated in war
as well as in peace, with a closeness which betokened a con-
tracted intellect. From such a man was expected the final
settlement of the long quarrel of colour in Saint Domingo.

The preparations for the armament were made in different
porta. No expense was spared. Holland, then under the
domination of France and Spain, kept in alliance with it bj fear,
furnished ships. The fleet, when collected, was composed of
twenty-one frigates, and thirty-five vessels of war. It had on
board all the best sailors of France, and was commanded by
Yillaret Joyeuse. In December, 1801, portions of it left the
ports of Brest, Bochefort and Lorient. The rest were to sail
firom other points. The ocean was covered with ships in order
to punish a contumacious slave ! The magnitude of the equip-
ment is a measure of Toussaint's power. This fleet bore to
Hayti one of the most valiant of armies. The Alps, Italy, the
Rhine, and the Nile resounded with the exploits of the veterans
who formed its strength. They now lefb lands which boasted of
their civilization, to cany chains to a people who, uncultm*ed
though they were, had vindicated their freedom, and used that
freedom wisely.

As soon as the fleet had anchored off Cape Samana, at the
eastam end of Saint Domingo, Leclerc numbered his sea and
land forces, including others which he expected. They amounted
to sixty ships and more than thirty thousand men, commanded
by generals and captains of experience and renown. Among

hem wer e men of colour, who had become illustrious in

158 THE LIFE OF

the sangoinarj straggle for emancipatioD. Tliere w«8 fiHmd
Rigaud, whose valoor had disputed the hiurel with Tonaaaint
himselC There was found Potion, who under a mild phyiio-
gnomj bore a lofty spirit ; he was destined to found and goTsma
republic in the island he took part in invading. There was
found Boyer, lus illustrious successor, who by a treaty with the
king of France was one day to secure the permanent indepan-
dence of his native land. All these mulatto chie£i had consented
to second the expedition with their coimcil, their courage^ and
their example. On the other side, the forces of Toussaint oon-
sisted at most of sixteen thousand men; five in the north, iosur
in the west, four in the south, and three in what was formerly the
Spanish territory. These troops thus scattered, were, however,
commanded by captains well trained to moimtain war£une; all
were animated by the love of freedom, which they cherished the
more because they had acquired it at the cost of labour, peril,
and bloodshed. Everywhere the Haytian army would find
auxiliaries ; soldiers, women, children, citizens, had all lived in the
camps of the civil wars. Full of recollections of their former
servitude, they were ready to perish sooner than submit.

The gathering of the fieet at Samana took several weeks. The
effect of a sudden descent was lost. On hearing that a fleet was
approaching the island, Toussaint L'Ouverture threw the bridle
over his horse's neck, and galloped to Cape Samana to reccm-
noitre the squadrons. Unversed in marine af&irs, he at first
took the manoeuvring for hesitation. But as the vessels
anchored in their several places, Kiving never seen so large a
fleet before, he was struck with astonisliment, and feeling for a
moment discouraged, he exclaimed to his officers, ''We must
perish ; all Fitince is coming to Saint Domingo ; it has been
deceived, it comes to take revenge and enslave the blacks."

Convinced as he was of the hostile designs of the armament,
Toussaint could not deny that its heralds had annoimced firiend-
ship. As little did he possess the right of making war against
the forces of the coimtry to which he professed allegiance. Had
he already proclaimed the independence of Hayti, he would have
been relieved from the perplexity of a dubious position. £veii

TOUSBMHT L'onmiTUBE. 159^

liad lie at this last moment proclaimed independence, he would
have been saved from the evils of vacillation. But being
neither at peace nor at war with his assailants, he laboured under
a great disadvantage. However, he made such arrangements as
his unhappy position permitted. To act on the defensive was
eompulsory on him in the circumstances, and probably such a
policy was every way the best Should the armament prove
really hostile; should it attack the island, ihea resistance must
be made; and if defeat ensued, there were the mountains for are-
treat, and a succession of strong holds where an almost unlimited
defence might be maintained.

At length the fleet put itself in movement. After hav-
ing detached Kervcneau to go and take possession of the
city of Saizrt Domingo, Leclerc directed the armament in
three divisions against three principal points; Fort Dauphin,
and the city of the Cape in the north, and Port-au-Prince
in the west. The island was thus invested. No declara-
tion of war was made, no negotiations were opened. The
squadrons sailed to the Hcveral points as if they approached a
friendly shore, and as a matter of course entered friendly
harbours. Nor could they be challenged. Toussaint possessed
no vessels, and if he had had vessels, was he not a French
subject, and were these not French ships and French com-
manders?

It was not possible for Isaac and Flacide L*Ouverture any
longer to doubt the nature of the en and on which the arma-
ment had been sent. They drew up in writing remonstrances
which they presented to Leclerc, who doubtless smiled in his
thoughts at their easy faith.

IGO THE LIFE OF

CHAPTER in.

Ledere obtains possession of the chief positions in the island, and yet is
master thereof— By arms and by treachery he establishes himself at the Cape,
at Fort Dauphin, at Saint Domingo, and at Port-au-Prinoe — ^Toussaint
L'Ouyerture depends on his mountain strongholds.

The main squadron, under the immediate direction of Leclero,
proceeded to act against Cape City. Sent on an errand of
duplicity^ the commander meant war^ yet was obliged to feign
peace. His aim was, if poasible, to obtain possession of the Cape^
under the cover of friendship. Surely, admission into a French
port could not be denied to French forces. In order to effect
his purpose, he sent Lebrun, aide-de-camp of the admiral Yil-
laret Joyeuse, on shore, to annoimce his intention of l^ndipg big
troops. Lebrun was conducted to General Christophe, who held
the place on behalf of the insular authorities. As Lebrun passed
along, he, as if by accident, let fall a number of proclamation^
intended to serve the cause of Bonaparte by stirring up the in-
habitants. Having put his papers into the hands of Christopher
he received for answer, " Without the orders of the €k>vemoi:-
General Toussaint L'Ouverture, who at present is in the Spanish
part, I cannot receive the squadron and the troops which are otx
board.'* Lebrun whispered in the ear of Christophe, that Gene*
ral Leclerc was the bearer of splendid tokens of the &vour of the
government toward him. '^ Ko, sir,** was the prompt and decided
reply, *^ I cannot listen to any proposition without the orders of
the governor. The proclamations you bring breathe despotism
and tyranny. I shall go and administer to my soldiers an oath
to maintain our hberty at the peril of their lives.'* The pro-
clamation covertly published by Lebrun, was not wholly without
effect. A deputation of citizens waited on Christophe to impreas
on him the responsibility he took on himself in withstanding the
orders of the mother country. He replied that he was a sol-
'dier; that he acknowledged as his supreme chief only Touaaaint

T0U8SAIKT L'om'KRTURE. 161

L*Ouyerture ; that nothing proved to him that a squadron over
which they saw foreign banners float, had been sent by the
mother country ; that France would have taken other means to
cause its commands to be acknowledged, and that it would have
sent them by an envoy, and not by foreign squadrons. He ended
by declaring, that if Leclerc, who called himself Captain-general,
persisted in his resolution to enter the Cape, he would set the
whole in flames rather than the ships should anchor in the hazw
hour. However, he permitted a deputation of the city to go ott
board Leclerc*s ship, and entreat a delay of two days, in order
that Toussaint might be consulted. The general assured the
deputies, that France, full of aflection for the colony, had made
every arrangement for its happiness ; he set forth in a few words
the great and benevolent projects which the mother country had
for Toussaint L*Ouverture, whose sons it sent back after having
educated them with the greatest care ; he announced that he
brought General Christophe proofs of the public gratitude, and
remarked how monstrous would be the ingratitude of which
those two chiefs seemed disposed to render themselves guilty.
He added, that the conduct of General Christophe having caused
him to fear that he would employ the delay asked for in order,,
by drawing together his forces, to secure the success of the
meditated resistance, he could not postpone the entrance of the
squadron, and that he should make his arrangements in the space
of half-an-hour — ^time sufficient to enable General Christophe to
repair the disgrace of his revolt by prompt submission. Chris-
tophe remained xmmoved by the allurements and the threats of
the French commander, though supi>orted by the following
letter: —

" I learn with indignation, citizen general, that you refuse to
receive the French squadron and army which I command,
under the pretext that you have not any order from the governor
general.

*^ France has made peace with £ngland, and its government
sends to Saint Domingo forces able to subdue rebels, if rebeU
are to be found in Saint Domingo. As to you, citizen general^

M

163

THE LtPB OP

1

I avow ih&i it woulil give me pain, to reckon you among
I warn you that if thin very day you do not ])ut iuto my
Hen^on the foita Fioolet, Belair, and all the batterioB of the
to-uorrow ut <lawD fifteen thousand men nhall be diuMnl
Pour thtiasaad ut this moment are landing at Fort Liberty, ei^^'
thonaond at Port B«publican ; you will find my prochimatiou
joined to thi» cauununication ; it expresses the int«ntioDB of the
Fnmeh government ; but, remember, whatever esteem your «uii-
duct iu the colony has inspired me with, 1 hold you r(«|>ousible
for whatever may take plaoe.

" The genond-in-chief of the army of Snint Domji
and captain-general of the colony.

(Signed) '■ Lec-lerr'

The letter, and the tooe of the captaln-geueral »9rved only to
iaflamethe spirit of i'esi:itauue, which had time to gather Ktrength,
becuuBe the wjuadrou, not being able to procure pUota, wax obliged
to gain the oj^n sea without being able to land tlie troopCJ
ChristDphe muntered the Mtkliers of the line and made thiim in
to conquer or die, couforniably to the proclamntion of Tous
L'OuTertiire, <Uted the 18th of December, 1801. The j
cUmation of Lecli-rc, intuuiled to win over the civil authoritf
and the luhabitaiit^, assumed a more pacific character, and p
mised to all the suldiers and functionaries of the colony, n
■rver their colour, the confirmation of their rtuilt and tbeir ol
Hmitten with fear, liome cf the civil authorities endcai-nni<e4|||
prevail with Christophe, but he was not a man to be «tt»dly o

That chief, bora in the island of Gi'enada, first an emancipotad
slave, then an innkeeper, a tnulesman, and a cattle dealer, ended
by becoming a king. To the advaut^;e of great height, he ai
that of a majestic carriage, and an eye fidl of fire
strong soul, adorned with civic, domestic, and military v
His prudence led him to t^u^t little to fortune. He was act!*^
{Mttent, and temperate. Without having been in«truct«ii id the
•choole, he spoke with ease and grace : he took |)eculiar plo
in iliTertiDg bis guestaby the recital of adventures n

leadd^H

-act!^?^
dfo the
pl«MHnn
:« valoM|^H

X'OUVEBTITBE.

cploits. He was moreover liable to contraeto of temper

d the fiery impuWs of his character Some of Iuh excel-
s be lo»t 'when seated on a throne. When the messenger
urged him to surrender the city, he replied with
'htnteur, "Go sod tel! yeur general that the French shall march
here only over aahcn, and that the ground Hhall hum beneath
their feet." He afterwanlH wrote his determination in these
tetma — '' The decision of arms can admit you only into a city in
oahes '^^ even on these anhes I will fight stiU !" Inexorable to
the entreaties of treacheroivt nativen, he 'waa amailed by the
SsOaming proclamation from Bonaparte, which they re<;dvcd
n tins handH of Ij^lery. and put into circulation.

which ^^1

KTbb Fibst Coshcl to the Inbabitantb of SAiirr Dotasao.

"Whatever your origiii and your colour, you are all
a are all &ee and alt equal before Ood and before

" Fiwtce, like Saint Domingo, has been a prey to factions, and

IB been t^irn by civil wiu* and by foreign war; but all is changed;

3 nattDos have embraced the FrencJi, and have sworn peace and

hip towards them : all frenchmen likewise have embraoed

k other, and have sworn to be friends and brothers; do you

■>I1h! Frencli, and rejoice at nguin beholding your brnthren

t' flienJs from Europe. Tlu- Government sends tii yon

in-Ocnend lawlere ; he brings with him large forces to

i yuu againct your enemies and ogiunst the enemies of the

Republic li' you are tol<t, ' Those tbroes are destined (« rob you

of liberty,' reply, 'The Bupublic will not allow that liberty shall

b|w taken frian us.'

f round the Captain-General, he brings you abundance

; rally round him. Whoever shall dare to sejiomte

' from the Captain-General, will be an enemy to his

wntry, niul the wrath of the Kepublic will devour him as the

i: devoura your dried sugar-canes.

m2

104 THE UFK OP

" Given at Paris, at the Govenimeut F&laoe, tlic ITthfirum
n tlie tenth year of tlie French BepabUc (8 Nov., 1801).

"The First Consul,

(Signed)

" Bonaparte."'"

Tlii-s ijroclainution was not of a nature to inspire coniiileuc«
nieit whom servitude bad miule haliitiiaUy distntsthtL
words of the Consul nppeui;d those of a maater -aha altenii
emjiIoyB promises and threats. Tho people of the Cupe had'
need of being assured of a liberty which they actually enjoy*
and that wrath pt'esented under the image of the oouHagration
of their harvesti, looked, in their eyas, like a tokcu of alaTety.
AU deelare'l that they would iiither jjeriah tlian retuni to Ber-
vitude. While time wsa thus spent in useleits words, the W^g
had begun without any negotiation with Touawunt, whether iM
order to tliat effect hatl been given by the Ccuuinl, that he mifflt^
Htrike terror into the inhabitaut^ or whether Leclerc conaideraS
that promptitude whs the beat means of eommamling obtslience.
ItochambeAU, who bad been sent against Fort Dauphin, attAt:k«d
the place by land and by sea. Everything 80on yielded to
French ^'alour. The blacks fled, but in Hying set the city on
fiiv. At the sight of the llames, Bocbambeuu alauglit«red all tJie
prisoners, whom he treated aa revoltcTS. The bay of MauceniUe
was stained with the blood of many unarmed blacks, wboae
crime was that they had shouted "No whites I no slavery !"

Afiwd lest Ohristophe should cany his thi-eat into oxecutioB
and Bet Cape City on fire, Ijeclero remlved to take the enemy in
the n-ar by landing his forces in the Bay of Aciil. But the
movement of the vessels and the noise of the cannon spread uu
all sides ttmiult and alarm. Burning plantations luinounnsl thnt
flttmes would soon rise from the town. Christophe. threatened
by iwa and by land by two bodies of foes, determined to set fire
to the Cape. AtWr distributing torches to his soldiere, and to
all who were devoted to so sRciml a cause, he called the Almighty
Protoctor of liberty to witness that he was driven to citivmi^,
jud commeuced the conflagration with his own residenoe.

TorssAurr 1,'ouvERTtJiii:. 165

i costly nuuiiier by tlie arts of luxury. An owan uf
w iu the nir; I'Oijfit fell iii all on lire; and in those
IS the black nuui shw the presei-vation of his liberty. The
i[)peara.uai of the fleet, the blood of blacks and whites flowing on
> pai'ts of the coast, terror, coofuaion, the loea of so much
awoke ia all henrtu the former furies of freedom and
Ikveiy. At the sight of the flames, which changed uighl iuto
tlty, those paseions painted theniselves on white oe well na block
uit«nancvs. But uo cries, no complaints were beard. Oulj
i pointed to the high lauds above the Capo where
9dom might Hud an iisyluni. The flight took place in silence,
B if Teageance waa deterred in order to be more terrible. An
exploeioa of a powder magazine crowntil that work of courage
and despair. The flames of the conflagratiou were seen nearly
at the same time by the French fleet and by ToitsKaint L'Ouver-
ture, who arrived in the neighboui-hood from Santo Domingo,
and who then regretted that he had not lost his life iji the plains
of the Artibonite when be fought for France and for his country,
so great waj) his grief. He showed compawiou to a. multitude of
oM men, women and children, who were Kcattered on tdl the
joads, and who were flying through the mountains, How em-
is jiositinn ; the Cape aud Fort I>auplun had been
estcd as hostile cities,
k Christophe, who hud set an. fire his (iwu house and the city.
lifeeteil a generosity too rare iu wai-; fearing lent, in the con-
tv and the tiunult of the conflagration, some two thousand
with their wivca and ohildreu might become victims of
I men, he conducted them into a place of safety. After
luuing the Cape, Christophe joined Tuuijsaint, and con-
intly they raised fire and flames everywhere. At the request
E lti« chief, Christophe look up a position at La Grande
|ivi6re, while Toussaint himself went towards the plain of the
Both were thus immediately above the invading forcea-
Plm latter in proceeiling to his post found liiouelf &ce to face
h the advanced guard of Leclei'c, and iia^tsod through a most
rrible fire. His cloak was riddled with lialls, and his horse
I wounded. Reaching Momay, he received a letter bwu.

IGG TKB LIFE OF

Kochambeau, who hoq j^t to set off his gloiy hj
ci pity. " I did not expect^" lie fadd, ^ that my aoldifln in
riving here would have to dye their bayoneta in the Uood of their
brothers and their friends." Toaanint L'O u fer tur e Ibmid it den*
rable to quit Momay, and paanng through Ennery, where was Ida
wife with a part of his fiunilyy made his way toward Oonaivea in
the west. While Lederc and Bochambeaa were conquering in tibe
north towns which were in aahes, thor oo-operatoTy Oenenl
Boudety in the west, was sednng by stratagem as nnidi aa by
fi>roe to take possession ci Port-an-Prince. That dtj, bnili of
wood, was the riyal of the Cbpe. Ag6, who was entrusted with
its defence, had not a soul proof against treacheiy. Bat ahmg
side of him there served a captain worthy ci ''the good old
times.** Lamartini^re possessed an heroic soul; his finnness, hia
courage, and his patience could not be surpassed. With a hand-
ful of soldiers, he was capable of resisting the efforts of an army.
When the surrender of the city was demanded, the reply waa
the same as that which had been given at the Gape, only the
threat of carnage was subjoined to the threat of conflagration.
'' If^** replied the blacks, " if the French disembark before we can
be informed of the resolution of Touseaint, three cannon shot,
r^)eated from mountain top to mountain top, shall be the signal
for the conflagration of our homes, and for the death of those
who may endeavour to make us slaves."

Not without disgust nor without fear, did Boudet, who had
gained renown in the Antilles by wresting Guadaloupe from the
hands of the English, land near Lamentin, distant about a leagne
to the west of Fort-au-Prince. At the appointed signal, flames
arose on all sides. Frightful disorder prevailed in the town.
The blacks, dreading slavery, pursued the whites through the
streets, and even searched for them in hiding-places. At the
recollection of the evils of their past servitude, marks of which
many of them still bore in their mutilated bodies, they saw in
the whites only pitiless masters, and slew them unsi>aringly, or
carried them away as hostages into the mountains. A large
number of women, children, and old men sought in a church an
asylum against the rage of their former slaves, who, in spite o

TOUSSAIMT L*OUVERTUH£. 167

the stnctitj of the place, were on the point of sacrificing them
as victims to their liberty ; but a priest appeared, and called out
for mercy; presenting the sacred utensils of the altar, and
assuaging the wrath of the assailants, he saved the lives of the
trembling and helpless crowd; but the raging men hastened
away to find, in less hallowed places, whites on whom they mi^lit
effectually wreak their terrible vengeance. Boudet, unused to
the terrors that arose on every hand, exhorted his soldiers to
mercy. '^ My comrades," he said, " you must regard these people
as fellow-citizens; this is no foreign land, it is your oountiy.
Do not make use of your arms ; imcover your breasts to them,
in order that those who follow us may have the right to avenge
us." By the treachery of its defenders, he obtained possession of
Fort Bizoton, by which his progress might have been Imig
stopped. Ag€ was thinking of surrendering the city itself, but
Lamartini^re, indignant at a second instance of perfidy, called
into action, for its defence, all his resolution. At the council-
board, he blew out the brains of acaptain of artillery who refused
the keys of the arsenaL So daring a stn^e put an end to inde-
cision and enkindled courage; he drew after him four thousand
men to the gate of Leogane, where a redoubt, armed with six
pieces of artillery, defended the town. Death was spread in the
ranks of the French, who advanced slowly, uncertain of the use
they should make of their arms. Soon their ardour burned up ;
ihef rushed across the moe^ threw themselves into the city, and
preserved it fixmi the threatened conflagration.

lAmartini^re, less afflicted at his defeat than at not having
reduced Fort-au-Prinoe into ashes, hastened to intrench himself
in Croix-des-Bouquets, a little to the north ; a position sur-
rounded by moats cut in a very hard soiL There he was waited
lor by Dessalines, who had come up too late to defend the city.
TbmJt ohie^ who had the west under his command, was of a bold,
turbulent, and liBTOcious spirit; now from revenge, now from
ambition, he imbrued his hands in the blood of both white meli
and black men. Hunger, thirst, fetigue, and loss oi akep he
seemed made to endure as if by a peculiarity of constitution.
His air was fierce, his step oblique, his look sanguinary. His fine

168 TBE uis or

fiuTowed with inciticMii, indicftted the ooMt of Afiiea M
plaoa XTnder that terriUa Mpect he eonceeled en ii
dkrimaktbiL Hie beiheioiie eloqaenee kj in
niher then in word& Whet ie etnnge in hie deefcin j, ie theA
he wee e savage, a aUve^ a eoldier, a genenl, end died n^en en
emperor, under the degger of a Brutaa. When he leanl Aii
Port-an-Prinee had eaoaped ftoea oonflegiation, he tuned pele^
eoolded, and roaxed with wnth.

Boadet, intending to fidlow np hie viotoiy, flew to Craiz-de^
fioaquetfl^ where he waa awaited by thoee two fixmidafaie cUaftii
Bat Deeflaiinea midentood hia bneineai too well to enooimter the
French graeral in aet battle aimj. Knowing how bj bold and
lapid movementa to deoeiTe aa well aa eaoi^pe from an enemy, he
outflanked Bondet^ and getting in hie rear, aet on fixe Leogane^
a charming city built on a prtmiontoiy, before the inTadera could
arrive in the vicinity. The flames which destroyed that city
rejoiced the soul of the barbarian, but did uot console him for
the eeo^ of Port-au-Prince; he meditated fresh conflagrationa.

While the north and the west were theatres of fire and carnage,
ihe east and the south submitted without the endurance of
calamity. Oeneral K e r ver s e au, on presenting himself before
Santo Domingo, found the inhabitants the more dispoeed to
receive him, because in perilous missions in Santo Domingo, he
had acquired a reputation for prudence and honour. Kerversean
was not a great general, but a good man, modest and mild;
respected by parties, he enjoyed much popularity. Panl
L*0uv6rture, who commanded the dty, refused to yield
without instructions from Toussaint, his brother. N^joti-
ationS) nevertheless, were opened, but they came to a atop
when the news arrived that all was in flames in other parta.
Then Kerverseau invested Santo Domingo by sea and land.
Paul, meanwhile^ had written for instructions to his distinguished
brother. Toussaint sent a despatch commanding him to destroy
the dty if he was unable to hold it against his advoaaiy. Bat
iearing the message might foil into the hands of Kerverseau, he
eent another, which recommended conciliation. These comm»-
nicationfl^ intercepted by Spaniards who had taken aidea with

TOU88AIKT l'OUVEBTUR£. 169

tke French, fell into the hands of the bed^iing generaL Ker-
verseau conveyed to Paul the message which bore a Mendly
character. Paul, importuned by the townsmen, admitted his
assailant, and joined his ranks. Thus fell Santo Domingo, a^d
with it there passed under the power of France a portion of
Toussaint's forces.

The southern province, inhabited chiefly by mulattoes, and
being the scene of Rigaud's revolt, was not likely to offer a stem
resistance. Its commander, Laplume, no sooner heard that the
French were masters of the Cape and Port-au-Prince, than he
resolved to submit to the authority of the mother country. His
troops, mostly of his own blood, cherished no friendly recollections
toward Toussaint, by whom they had been subdued, and were
easily induced by their leader, who painted to them vividly the
evils of civil war, and read the proclamation of the Consul, whose
power, genius, and glory he extolled, to join him in taking place
side by side with the assailants of the constitutional rights of the
island. Thus, the strong points of Hayti were in the hands
of Lederc.

At the Cape and at Fort-Dauphin in the north, at Santo
Domingo in the east, at Cayes in the south, and at Port-au-Prince
in the west, the French invader had succeeded in taking up
fitrong positions. In vain had Toussaint L'Ouvertm^ organised
the best resistance in his power. The enemy were on the island.
True, some of the places they held were only heaps of ruins.
Nevertheless, they had effected a landing. The island, however,
.was not in their possession. Neither arms nor treacheiy had
subdued the natives. Toussaint well knew that the sea-poits
ooold not withstand so formidable an assault. But he knew also
that a country which is full of mountains is inexpugnable. For
the desultory warfare of the mountains he prepared himself, and,
hadLed by the population at large^ men of his own blood, he
defied defeat, and felt confident that time and the climate would
vnstring the arm, and lay waste the spirits as well as the frames
of his assailants. Even one advantage he had gained; for
whereas at the first, the islanders knew not whether they had tQ
expect peace or war, their leader, consequently, could fully pre-

»».

170 noB UR or

pwdfor neither; now at length theeloek wieetrippedoi^ md t»
all eyee it was clear that the onl j altenwti'pe ww
eervitiide.

On his part, Leden^ thoogh TietoncMi^ did -no*
hhnself with the notion of having aooomplidied hie work. Om
the contrary, in view of the fiusts to which we have jnst
he was aware that he had ererfthing hot the firrt step to
pliflh. The Spartaooa of Hayti was on hk own
•apported hj a whole pec^le ahle and leadj to raut to the 1
How was Lederc to sacoeedf Howeonldadawd t aiywagfcpem
lavines and on predipioei^ in mcwei and in mountain
he either carried on or hrooght to a deauaUeiniie againat
was not in name but litenDj • faey «• ma§mt A
method most be tried. 80 long aa Toosmint L'Q u fe iUu o waa
at the head of thoee predatoiy bands, the consequences of yictQij
would be only a little less beneficial than those of defeat. But
treachery has power, and treachery of the basest kind was put
into action.

CHAPTER IV.

Genend Lederc openi a negotiation with TonsMint L'OuTeitnre by mcani of hi*
two wnB, Isaac and Fladde — the negotiation encbi in nothing* — the Frendi
eoBammder-in-cliief onttewi TooiMant, and p fc par e t for a oampaign.

Before he was yet informed of the success of the expedition in
the east, the south, and the west^ Leclerc, well aware that in
Tottssaint L'OuTorture he had to do with an enemy not easy to
overoomey resolved, when now he had himself taken up a firm
position in the north, to put into play a method of operatioa
fix>m which he expected a decisive and immediate result.
Yinoent, who foresaw the terrible wasting that the European
troops would have to endure under the tropics, advised the Consul
to send back, partly as hostages, and partly as mediators, the

TOUSSAOfT LOinKBTDHE.

if Tuoteaint — wid no take a means for bruiging llie colonf
subjection, both more sine and lew nostlj- than the appeal
anus. This advioe he urged specially on the groand that as
it had strong domestic tunings, he would not be able W
id out agaiust the indueuce which the return of the young
after a long absence, would exert on their father in &vour
the Consul's (lenigna. Ac!»rdingly, the Captain -UenenU haWtig
for the youths, who had remained on board the fleet, spoke
to them of the calamities which had be&Ueii the inland, urged
the necessity of a speedy accommodation, aiid reminded them of
the letter written to their fetber by the Fiirt ConsuL " I havo,"
he added, " the greatmt hope of coining to a good understanding
with your &ther ; he waa absent ; he could not command tlie
III must carry to him the First Consul's letter ; let
know my intentions, and the high opinion I entertain of
" It was somewhat late to set on foot a friendly negotia-
But the hour wns well-timed, since the delay had given
Ijoclurc a footing in the island, if it had not also served, as
intended, to show Toiissaint L'Ouvertiire the inutility of oppo-
sition to the will of Bonaparte. The young men felt that their
Iniamon of peace should have preceifed hostilities; but they felt,
a very strong desiru to s(« their parents and their home ;
thejr wholly without a hope that even yet a pacific
igemeut might be mada They therefore gladly accepted
Lbas»y,and set out for Knnery, their father's dwelling-place,
ipenied by their tutor, M. Coasnon. Behind them they left
'ftorrible ima^ of civil war — old men, women, children, flying
fire and sword ; everywhere alarm and consternation. 800D
into view of peacefiil scenes, the woric of their father's
Lus— cultivated fields, abundant crops, happy families. There
land of desolation — here a land of prosperity. On their
tliey saw many inhuLitantfi, but not one soldier. As soon aa
iJl-wiwImownwho they were, crowds came out to greet them with
itions ; they were Burrounded, welcomed, embraced, and
qtieiitioned. Their object ' It was to convey friendly aasui'anues
to their &tlier. The news was gladly heard. Nevertheless, doubt
aoaa renuued the aeoendaacy. Tbose were indeed the sons of

I

172 BB uis or

tlieir Tmertted chief; tliej bftd been tent btck unhurt ; ii
A token £w good; yet, why annoonoepeMehfOinnoiihAlkt Whf
Jandonafriendly shore withaGhexgeef bayonetat Aha^tiit
whole route, the same eegenuM to lee and weloono theyovte
waa displayed. Delig^ ftr a moment took the plaee of tenraa^
The fiunily had been wacned of the approach of the yoong m^B^
▲t last, aboot nine o*oloA In the evieniqg of the aeoood d^y
after the departnre from the Oape^ their mother, aecompanied Ifr
a few Mends, came with the aid of toidi4i|^ to reoeiYe thiOB m
the midst of an immenae otowd. It is move easy to cemti t n
than deacribe the tender acenea which paasad that evening in tte
home of Tonssaint UOaTsvtoxe. After the mother had &r the
moment indulged all her emotiona in regard to her aon% aha tiunsd
to their preceptor, whose care and trouble ahe acknowledged in
the fullest and warmest terms. All the fiunily, for a short hour,
forgetting the common miseries of their country, gave way to the
sweetest and most joyous sentiments. Duty had preyented
Touasaint himself £rom taking his place in this affecting interview.
But, at eleven o^clock in the evening of the next day, the sound
of a trumpet and the rattHng of horses' feet announced his
arrival On his entrance, Isaac and Pladde threw themaelvea
passionately on his neck. Their fi^er long held them pressed
closely to his heart, while tears streamed down his hardy cheeka
M. Goasnon was sent for, to whom L'Onverture expressed the high
sense of his obligation for the attentions he had bestowed on the
young men ; thanking him for having accompanied them into the
bosom of their fiunily — ^though he was sorry that their arrival took
place in the midst of war, the cause of which, he said, waa
unknown to him, and which he had in no way expected. Then
M. Coasnon presented to him the Consults letter, to which waa
auspended by a silk cord the state seal — the whole endoeed in a
golden casket. The epistle was as follows : —

^to cmzek tousbaikt, oeincral in chief of the abxt op

badit domingo.
'* Citizen General,

"The peace with England, and all the Powers at

Europe, which has just placed Uie Republic on the summit of

TOUSSAINT L'OUYEBTUBE. 173

power and greatness, gives the Ooyemment the opportunity of
oocnpying itself with the colony of Saint Domingo. We send
thither citizen General Leclerc, our brother-in-law, as Captain-
€reneral, as First Magistrate of the colony. He is accompanied by
forces sufficient to cause the sovereignty of the French people to
be respected. In these circumstances, we have pleasure in hoping
that you will prove to us and to all France the sincerity of the
sentiments you have constantly expressed in the different letters
that you have written to us.

'* We have conceived an esteem for you, and we take pleasure
in recognising and proclaiming the services which you have
rendered to the French people. If its banner floats over Saint
Domingo, it is to you and the brave blacks that we owe it.

*' Called by your talents, and the force of circumstances to the
Highest post, you have destroyed civil war, put reins on the per-
secution carried on by ferocious men, restored to honour religion
and the worship of Crod — from whom all things proceed.

''The constitution you have formed, .while containing many
good things, contains some which are contrary to the dignity
and the sovereignty of the French nation, of which Saint
Domingo forms a portion.

''The circumstances in which you found yourself, surrounded
by enemies, while the mother country could not succour you,
iM>r send you provisions, rendered legitimate articles of that
constitution which otherwise could not be legitimate ; but now,
when circumstances are so happily changed, you will be the
first to pay homage to the sovereignty of the nation which counts
you in the number of her most iQustrious citizens, both for the
services which you have rendered, and for the talents and force of
character with which nature has endowed you. Conduct contrary
to this would be irreconcileable with the idea which we have
formed of you. It would cause you to forfeit the numerous rights
you have to the gratitude of the Republic, and would dig before
your feet a precipice which, in causing your own ruin, might
contribute to the ruin of those brave blacks whose courage we
love, and whose rebellion we should be sorry to find ourselvea
compelled to punish.

1 7i THE UR or

" We have made known to jour chiMran and thor p ie o e |it or
the sentiments which animate xm, and we tend them iMuak to ycmm

^ AflRist the Gaptain-Oenexml with your ooonidfl^ your inflafliiee^
and your talenta What can yon deiirat The fineedom d Hm
Uackst Yon know that in all the countriflB where we have been,
we have given freedom to the nationa who did not poneaa itb
'Begpect, honours, fortune t After the aervioea which yoa have
rendered, and which in this juncture you may render, with the
special sentiment we entertain toward you, how can you be un-
oertain as to the respect^ the fortune, and the hcMnage which
await you ?

^ Let the people of Saint Domingo know that the aolidtude
which France has always folt for their hap|aneai has otbda been
powerless through the imperious circumatances of war; that men
come from the continent to agitate the island and suppcut foe-
tions, were the products of the Actions which distracted the
mother country ; that henceforth peace, and the strength of the
Government, will secure the prosperity and the freedom of the
colony. Tell them, that if to them liberty is the firrt of blessings^
they cannot enjoy it except as French citizens, and that every
act contrary to the interests of the mother country, to the obedi-
ence which they owe to the Goveiiiment, and to the captain
general which is its delegate, would be a crime against the
national sovereignty, which would eclipse their services^ and
render Saint Domingo the theatre of a destructive war in which
parents and children would slay each other.

** And you, General, reflect, that if you are the first of your
colour that has reached such a height of power, and that has
gained distinction by bravery and military talents, you are also,
before Grod and us, the person who is responsible for the conduct
of the inhabitants of the colony.

^ If there are evil-disposed persons who tell the individuals
that have played the principal parts in the troubles of Saint
Domingo that we have ccmie to investigate what they have done
during the times of anarchy, assure tliem that we shall inquire
only as to their conduct in this last circumstance ; that we shall
search into the past only to discover the deeds which have mado

T0USSAD7T l'OUVERTURE. 175

them distinguifihcd in the war against the Spaniards and the
English, who were our enemies.

'' Reckon unreservedly on our esteem, and conduct yourself as
he ought who is one of the principal citizens of the greatest
nation in the world.

*« The First Ck>nsal,

(Signed) "BOHAPARTE."

Toussaint L^OuTerture, after running his eyes rapidly over
this compound of cajolery and menace, was about to reply, when
his sons and M. Coasnon spoke to him of the handsome recep-
tion they had had from the Consul, and the magnificent promises
he had made them ; they also did justice in setting forth the
assurance given them by Bonaparte, that the army commanded
by Lederc was not sent to Saint Domingo with hostile views ;
adding, that it was the desire of that general to enter into an
accommodation with Toussaint UOuverture. Then the liberator
of Hayti said in reply : " You, M. Coasnon, you, whom I con-
sider as the preceptor of my sons, and the envoy of France, must
confess that the words and the letter of the First Consul are
altogether in opposition to the conduct of General Lederc ; those
announce peace — ^he makes war on me.

'' General Leclerc, in &lling on Saint Domingo as a clap of
thimder, has announced his mission to me only by the burning
of the capital, which he might have avoided; by the capture of
Fort Dauphin, and the landing on the coast of Limb6 effected
by main force.

*' I have just been informed that General Maurepas has been
attadced by a French division, which he has repulsed ; that the
commander of Saint Marc has forced two French vessels which
cannonaded that dty to put to sea. In the midst of so many
disasters and acts of violence, I must not foiget that I wear a
sword. But, for what reason is so imjust, so impolitic a war
declared against me? Is it because I have delivered my country
from the plague of foreign and dvil conflict ; that with all my
power I have laboured for her prosperity and her splendour ; that
I have established order and justice here ? Since these actions are

176 THB UFB or

regarded as a crime, why are my children aent to me, in sooii m
juncture, to share that crime t

'' As for the rest, if^ as yon tell me, General Laokro fimnkfy
desires peace, let him stop the march of his troops. He wiD
preserve Saint Domingo from total sabversion, and wHl tnoi-
quillizc minds exasperated by his system of aggression and invmr
sion. I wiU, M. Coasnon, write him a letter having this tenonr,
which you, my two children, and M. Granville, the totor of my
younger son, shall put into his hands.**

The conversation was prolonged fiur into the ni§^t. Tonssaint
remarked on the inconsistency of recognising him as Commander-
in-chief of »:^int Domingo, at the very time that he was assailed
by an overpowering force. He coold not suppress the indigna-
tion which he felt at the thought that his children were offered
to him as the price of his surrender. He bade M. Ooasnon take
them back to GeueiTil Leclerc, because, at every hazard he owed
the sacrifice of his life to the freedom of his fellow-citizens. The
father struggled with the liberator, and brought a flood of tears
from his eyes. The liberator overpowered even the father, and
exacted the sternest regard to public duty.

In two days the letter was ready. On the night of February
11th, 1802, the api)oiuted messengers were despatched with the
communication. As they travelled toward the Cape, M. Gran-
ville acquainted M. Coasnou with the irritation that prevailed
among the blacks. The life of the unfortunate whites hung
by a thixjad, and at any moment a word would be sufficient to
sunder the slender tie. In liis reply, Toussaint reproached
Leclerc with having come to displace him by means of cannon
shot ; with not having delivere<l to him the letter of the First
Consul, until three months after its date ; and with having by
hostile acts rendere<l doubtful the rights and the services of his
colour. He declared that tha<ie rights imi>08ed upon him duties
that were superior to those of nature ; that ho was prepared ti>
sacrifice his children to his colour, and that he sent them back
that it might not l>e supposed they werc bound by liis presence.
He ended by saying, that ])eing moi'C distrustful than ever, he

Touaau^rr loovbotitre.

order to decide the conrse wLicli

irr

1 for

[oired time it
to take.

: Wt«ucd to i^ml back the yoiing luca with a.
which lie invited Tousaaint to come and concert with
ineaus for putting a atop to the public disorders, giving
liiHwoi'd that the piist nhoiitd be sunk in oblivion, that he,
Lould be treated with the greatest distinctioD, Bud
A if ho complied with the request, be should that momont be
'oclaimed the firet lieutenant of the Captain-general of the
ilony. Jjeclerc finished his epistle by stating that though he
id precise instructions not to discontiuue warlike operations, if
~ it nectssary to uommence them ; yet in the hope of n
understanding, he would condescend to an anniistice of four
but, that delay over, he woidd, by a iiroclanuitiou, declare
'Xouesaint an enemy of the French nation, and put him beyond
the pale of the law.

The allurement wan too wealc: the threat was impotent.
Duty with Toussaint was Huperior to every other consideration,
could be neither bought nor intimidated. Iiritated by thia
ultimatum he reiwlved to employ all his energies for the uiain-
of the lib^ities lie had achieved. Yet had he no wi^h
involve his sons in the isaue. He therefore, after announcing
them Ilia final resolution, declared that he left them free to
between France and their lather ; that he did not blame
leir attachment to the mother country ; but that liis colour
between him and France j tliat he could not compromisu
destiuies of his colour by placing liiniself at the mercy of aji
:peditiou, in which tigureil several white generals, as well an
igaud, Petion, Boycr, Chanlatte and othexit. all his [>ersonal
1; tliat the order not to cease from fighting to negotiate,
lowed that Fi-ance hail more confidence in ita arms than in
rights; that a confidence of such a nature indicated the
H)Otiiiiu of mere force, and that if no practical re^rd was jiaid
the rights of the blacks, while they had nume jxiwer, what
vould their condition lie when lie and hia should be poworloss I

Hia aona threw themselves into his amu*. imploring him to
yield. Their tears and their caresses tailed to move him.

178 THX JJTE or

Bemaining inflexible, he merely zepeated, ** My childieDy mate
your choice; whatever it is, I shall always love yon.** At
length his own son Isaac, detaching l*iw»«^f from bis &tfaer^8
arms, exchiimed, ''Well, behold in ma a fidtbfol servanft of
France, who can never resolYe to bear arms against her.**
Pladde, Isaac's uterine brother, manifested indecision. Tdusaini,
petrified, gave his paternal benediction to Isaacs whom he gently
put away from him. Meanwhile Placide, overpowered, threw
himself on his £ftther*8 neck, and sobbing said, ''I am yoiu%
fiither; I fear the future, I fear slavery; I am ready to fi^t
against it; I renounce France.** Immediately L*Ouvertnre in^
vested him with the command of a battalion of his guard,
whom a few days after he led against the invaders. With all
Toussaint's affection for his own son, Isaac, he was unaUe to
bring himself to offer the least opposition to his joining the
Freuch. A mother s tenderness, however, knows no claims but
those of natural affection, and im})elled by that powerful senti-
ment, Toussaint's wife succeeded in causing Isaac to change his
determination. The young man wrote that he was prevented
from reiiuming to the Cape by his mother s urgent entreaties.

This scene, which was reported to Leclerc, sufficed to prove to
him the failure of the device by which the parents were to be
enslaved through their attachment to their children. Most un-
worthy purpose ! What a terrible thing is war ! How blind
is ambition ! A thirst for self-aggraiidisemcut, when supported
by power and tmstained by position, confounds right and wrong,
desecrates the holy, disowns moral obligation, and spreads wasting
and woe through £Emiilies, cities and nations.

Further attempts at accommodation were made. Toussaint
oflfered to prevent resistance, if Leclerc would communicate to
him the instructions he had received from the First Consul,
and stop the ad\'anco of the French troops. Toussaint added,
that should Leclerc continue to press forward, he would repel
him by force of arms. A deputation of the natives ^-aited on
the French commander. To their solicitations, Leclerc insoU^ntly
replied, that he was the brother-in-law of the First Consul, that
he had the bayonets on his side, and that he would take Toussaint

TousajoNT l'ouverturb. 179

before he had his boots off Full of himael^ and fimcying that
be was about to become the Bonaparte of America, he issued
to the inhabitants of Saint Domingo the following procla-
mation! —

Head Quarters of the Cape, le 88 Plnvioae, an 10.
(ITtili February, 180S0

"Ihhabitantb of Sadtt Dominoo,

^I have come hither in the name of l^e French
€h>vemment, to bring you peace and happiness ; I feared I should
oioounter obstacles in the ambitious views of the chie& of the
colony; I was not in error.

''Those chiefe who announced their devotion to France in
their proclamations, had no intention of being Frenchmen ; if
they sometimes spoke of France, the reason is that they did not
think themselves able to disown it openly. At present their
perfidious intentions are unmasked. General Toussaint sent me
back his sons with a letter in which he assured me that he
desired nothing so much as the happiness of the colony, and that he
was ready to obey all the orders that I should give him.

" I ordered him to come to me; I gave him an assurance that
I would employ him as my Lieutenant-general : he replied to that
order by mere words; he only seeks to gain time.

''I have been commanded by the French €k>vemment to
establish here prosperity and abundance promptly ; if I allow
myself to be amused by cunning and perfidious circumlocutions,
the colony will be the theatre of a long civil war.

" I commence my campaign, and I will teach that rebel what
is the force of the French Government.

" From this moment he must be regarded by all good French-
men residing in Ssdnt Domingo only as an insensate monster.

" I have promised liberty to the inhabitants of Saint Domingo ;
I will see that they enjoy it. I will cause persons and property
to be respected.

"I ordain what follows: —

'' Article 1. — General Toussaint and General Christophe are
outlawed ; every good citizen is commanded to seize them,
and to treat them as rebels to the French Republic.

n2

180

''Article 2. — ^Fiom the daj when the Vnodk umjAtSl half
taken up quarterly eveiy officer, iriMiher oifil or mSatarj,
who shiJl obej other oiden than thoae of the Generab of
the army of the Frendi RepaUio^ which I onminand, dnil
be treated as a rebeL

" Article 3. — ^The agrkmltunl labouen who have beeA led
into error, and who^ dftfmiTml hy thn pfirftiftnna iwaJ Bn a t i flni
of the rebel QeiienJ% may have taken up anii% ahaU be
treated as wandering childrni, and shall be sent back to
tillage, provided thej have not endeavoored to incite ifr-
surrection.

"Article 4. — ^The soldien of the demi-brigadea "dho shall
abandon the army of Tonssaint» ahall finm part of ihe
French army.

** Article 5, — General Augnstin Clervanx, who commands the
department of the Cibao, having acknowledged the French
government, and the authority of the Captain-General, is
maintained in his rank and in his command.

" Article 6. — ^The General-in-chief of the Staff will caose this
proclamation to be printed and published.
** The Captain-General commanding the army of Saint Domingo.

(Signed) ''LBCLERa**

This LB plain language, Leclerc could speak so as to be under-
stood, when it suited his purpose.

Toussaint L*Ouverture, on his part, was not dismayed by the
threatening storm. The greater the danger the loftier was his
spirit ; he reviewed his guard, and acquainted them with Greneral
Leclerc's impeiious determination. '' €reneral,** they shouted
with one voice, " we will all die with you."

TOUaSAIHT L*0T7TERTURE. idl

CHAPTER V.

General Lcclere adTuioee agaiaet Totusaint with 25,000 men in three dirinons,
intending to OTenrhelm him nemr Gonelree — the plan ii disconcerted by a
check giyen bj Totusaint to Gkneral Bochambcau in the ravine CouleuTrc.

The Captain-general of the French army, having mustered all
liis disposable forces in the north, and received a reinforcement
of seven thousand men, commenced operations in three divisions,
amounting in all to five-and-twentj thousand men. One
division, commanded by General Rochambeau, set out from Fort
Dauphin to march to Saint Michel ; the second, led by Deefour-
neaux, advanced from Limb6 to occupy Plaisance; and the third,
under Greneral Hardy, marching to the centre, went to take
possession of Marmelade. These three divisions were, together
with Boudet, who was to proceed frx>m Port-au-Prince, to eflfoct
a junction at €k>naive8y in order to surprise Toussaint in his head
quarters there, and put a speedy termination to the war. In
proportion as the French army forced its way into the interior
of the country, which was broken by mountains^ gorges, and
defiles, the conflict became more and more difficult. The soldien
were vexed and harassed at having to do with a flying enemy,
who, ccmstantly fighting in ambush, inflicted wounds or death as
if from an invisible cause, with perfect impunity to themselves,
whether from the speed with which they fled into well-known
retreats, or firom the height of the mountains, on which the sun
burnt with a heat intolerable to Europeans. In these marches,
which were rather difficult than long, the soldiers suflered
from hunger, thirst, and extreme lassitude; and after the perils
and penalties of the ocean, they found on the land, instead of
repose or glory, a warfeure in which victory brought no honour,
and defeat entailed deep disgrace; and in which victory was
purchased by intolerable endurance, and defeat was made afflict-
ing by contempt for the foe, and disastrous by the revenge which
Umi foe could on his own soil so easily take. In quitting Fort

182

Daaphin, Rochambean tntv ersed the oofontiy ciUed Oiiaiiain]iilk%
passed round the north of La Ckvnde Ri^idre^ dimbed the Uaek
mountain of €k>naivesy and descended towaidt the aa^smialw of
La Desol^

The division commanded hy DeafiHinieanx took pnwwriffn of
the district of Fhusanee^ iHiidi was tuiaiihffumJj d e O f m o d te
him by its commander without striking a blow.

The division under Hardy scaled and capimed the fixniidaUe
position at Bouqixiny and carried at the point of the baysaet
Karmekde^ idiich waa defended by Chrietophe

The theatre of the war lay aooordini^y on the chain of the
mountains whidi sepantes the north finm the weel^ and whUk
o^rortop the heights of Dondon, Tallita^ and the blade moiiBlM
of Gkmaives. Li those places Toossaint had conoentnited hk
inferior army in order to prevent the F^nench, who had landed
on three points of the coast, from concerting their operation^
and from surrounding his own troops, overwhelming him at once
with all their sea and land forces.

The situation of Toussaint had become perilous, environed as
he was on all sides by advancing foes. The peril, however, waa
neither unexpected nor unprovided for. Bocbambeau waa near
Lneroix, lying in the mountains in a line betweoi Esther and
€k»aive8L In order to descend into the plains he must paaa
through the ravine Couleuvre. This ravine was a narrow gorge
flanked by precipitous mountains, covered with wood, and which
swarmed with armed black laboums.

Rochambean, by a movement in this directiim, seemed likely
to effect great results. He might render himadf master of the
person of Madame Toussaint, of her sister and her two nieee%
who had just arrived at Lacroiz. He might also cut off Tons-
saint's connexion with Dessalines and Belair, and so bring the
contest to an end by one blow. It waa then necessary for
Toussaint to prevent the advance of Bocbambeau, unless he waa
willing to be the next morning attadced by all Ledero'a
army, in a semicircle, of which the coast, off winch lay vessela
of war, would have been the diameter. Leaving General Yemet^
therefixre, in command of his troops at Gonaives^ he put himself

T0U»SA1KT L'oUTKRTintC 1$3

at the head of & squadron and of the greoadier battalion of liis
^^^ guard, and marched to hu habitation at Lacroix. Not finding
^^Lkis wife and tamily on hin arrival, be inquired where tbey were,
^^H«nd at what distance Bochambeau might be. He could learn
^^H (othing more exact than that at the news of the enemy 'a
^^P ^prooch, the ladles had Honght shelter iik the forent. Totusaiut
^H having anrvey ed the district, made his arr&ngemeDt.<i for attack.
^H To rtop or retard the foe, he closed the defile with troea that
^^b vere felled and thrown across the narrow path. In the flanks
^^^itf the two mountains he placed ambuscades, that were to bll on
^^V4he Franch on tlicir sides and in their rear, at the same time that
lie would assail them in front, thua aurrounding them every way.
For feur of being discovered he lighted no tire during the night.
Accompanied by one of his aide-de-camps and two labourers, he
went forward to reconnoitre. One of his guides liaving pushed
on ventoroDaly, fell into the midst of an out[KMt belonging to
Bochambeau. Captured, he was put to death without being
I «ble even by a cry to warn Tonsaaint of the proximity of hia foea
~IaTiiig learned all ho could, that general rejoined his baud, gave
'B for battle, and addreiised to the Moldiers the following
Bch:—

'■You are going to light against enemies who have neitli«r

I'&ith, law, nor religion. They promiae you liberty, they intend

F.jicmr servitude. Why have so many ships traversed the ocean,

if not to throw you again into chains! They diedaiu to recognise

in yon {rubmissivc children, and if you are not their slavM. yon

ai« rebels. The mother countiy, mided by the Consul, ia no

longer anything for you but a alep-mother. Was there ever a

defence more juat than youra? Uncover your breasts, you will

see them branded by the iron of slavery. I>uring ten years,

what did yon not undertake for liberty} Your masters ulain or

lut tn flight ; the English humiliated by defeat; discord extia-

piinhcd ; a land of slavi?ry purified by tire, and reviving more

Bauttful tlian ever under liberty ; theoo are your labours, and

n the fraita of yoiir labonia; and the foe wishes to snatch

tlMth out of yonr handa. Already have you left traces of

^JFOHT dcapair ; but fbr a traitor, Port-Au-Princn would be only &

I

I
I

184 TMB UR OP

heap of rains; bat L6qgMM^ Fort-Dinpliiiiy tlie OqM^
opulent capital of the Antillei, eziat no longer;
eveiywhere conmnning ^rm, the flamhmuT of our libeitjr.
iiteps of onr enemies have trodden oaky oa aahei^ their pym
encountered nothing hat ""^^^f^g niin% which joa htswe
with their blood. This is the road hj which thsjr hafe coom to
us. What do thejr hope fiort Have we not all the pnngBS of,
victory! Not for their coontijry not for libertgr do thegr 4i^
hat to serve the hatred and ibe amfaitioii of the Cooaol, wkjt
enemjy mine hecaoae be k joan; their bodies are not nmtikteA
by the punishments of sendtnde^ their wives and their dildnn
are not near their camps^ and the graves d their fothen
beyond the ocean. Thissky, these nioantain% these landi^ all
strange to themf Whatdolsayt Assoonastheyhieaihetha
ssme air as we^ their braveiy sinks, their ooursge departs^
Fortune seems to have delivered them as victims into our hands.
Those whom the sword i^pares, will be struck dead by an aveng-
ing dimate. Their bones will be scattered among these moun-
tains and rocks, and tossed about by the waves of our sea. Never
m<xre will they behold their native land ; never more will they
receive the tender embraces of their wives, their sisters^ and
their mothers; and liberty will reign over their tomb.**

On his side, Rochambeau, too much accustomed to treat th»
Africans with pride and contempt, nevertheless thou^t it prudent
to encourage his men by telling them that this day would raiaa
their glory to the highest pitch, since there would be no part of
the world which would not be a witness of their triumph ; that
the Tiber, the Nile, and the Rhine, where they had conquered,
very formidable adversariee^ resounded with the echoes of thdr
exploits; that now they had to combat slaves^ who^ not daring-
to look them in the fiioe, were flying on all hands; and that
they had not come thousands of miles from home to be overcome
by a rebellious slave.

As soon as the day broke, Tonssaint's advanced guaidt ia
passing a river, encountered the advanced guard of Bochambean^
which was <m its march. Then the action began. The impetus
«isitv of the attack was checked by the bravery of the resistanoa>

TOUBSAINT l'OUVKRTURE. 185

The troops in ambush pressed forward on the flanks and in the
lesr of the French, who everywhere presented a bold front to the
aiwailnnta The retrenchment having been opened, the conflict
became bloody and obstinate. Now the victory inclined to
this side, now to that. The uncertainty did but inflame the
coiorage of both. Toussaint was then seen to brave a thousand
perils. Some of his grenadiers yielding a little before the French
impetuosity, a young oflicer called back their powers by thete
words, '' What ! you desert your general T That moment he put
himsdif at the head of a platoon of grenadiers, and ascending an
eminence which commanded Rochambeau*s right wing, annoyed
him with a destructive fire. At this moment an officer of
dragoons having informed Toussaint that his wife and family
were behind a mountain not &r from the place of action ; he
replied, ''Do you see that they take the road to Esther; I must
here perform my duty." His duty he did perform. Regardless
of himself he encouraged his men when they vacillated, and
ever again led them into the fight. With such fuiy did the
conflict rage that arms were thrown aside, and combatants,
aeiziDg each other, struggled for life and death. The field of
battle was covered with the slain. A decisive eflbrt was neces-
sary. Putting himself at the head of his grenadiers, Toussaint
rushed to the attack, and drove Bochambeau over the river,
where, in the morning, the fight had begun. He then returned,
and took up a position on his side of the stream.

The issue remained undecided, but Toussaint had rescued his
fiunily and stopped the impetuous career of Bochambeau. He
had also gained time, while Christophe, by a vigorous defence,
retarded the advance of Desfoumeaux and of Hardy. Thus had
he saved himself from being surrounded on the plain of Gronaives.
Like a man of genius, he had chosen the place and the time of
the combat, and in a crisiB obtained great advantages.

Retiring toward his centre, Toussaint pitched his camp on the
banks of the Esther. There, surrounded by his soldiers and his
finmily, and covered with a cloak, he had only a plank on which
to sit and to sleep. He passed the greater part of the night in
de^iatching orders written with his own hand, and in going'

186

fnm post to port. Th« meoct day he nnt bis will mod iUaSf i»
the momitein known hj the neaw of Gnad CUhoi^
in a line with the ArtflMiuta Hk Tiai t» Brthef^ howwiwv
only £ar a terapoiaij pm poee. He wee too good a
meet the conoent g i t ed fafm €£ the enony in e level
where, with all his ^filoar, he woold not have besn eUe to
fent his eompentivBly diniinnti^e em^ fton being
Hm ability to offer any cflbetwd reiMtancia had arisen fteat
judgment he had employed in making the me nntai ne ^m eeat d
the warfrie; Justified in this poli^ by the eatoem whieh he
had guned, he <V<iiieiiiMwl to evaoote IhHieri and to eoHeel
troops in anothermooBtainona stroB|^iold, still eure faywuBhii
than that in whidi he had deAated P^?f b w w il MTaii

A review <^the operatkma of Tonsmint I/Ouwriiue^ from the
point at which our nanratiTe has arrived, shows that the method
of his war&re consiBted in passive or active resistance, whidi,
after qyreading fixe and devastation before the enemy's march,
withdrew from the coast and made the moimtains its centre and
its bulwark. That this plan was carefoUy weighed and wdl
laid oat, may be presomed from a knowledge of Toaasaint^s
character. It was also carried into e£kct as thoroughly as dt*
cumstanoes permitted. If in any reqiect it fi&iled, the fiBdhne
was owing to no remissness on the part of the great chief The
foDowing letters written by him at the beginning of the cam-
paign, may serve to illustrate and confirm these obeervatiansy
and may condoce to the reader's acquaintance with the chaiacter
of our hero.

(t

Liberty. « Equality.

^The Governor-General to General IXeaBalines, Commander-
in-chief of the army of the West

Hesd Qutften, Oonaifct, Feb. 8, 1808.

" There is no reason for despair, Citizen-General, if you can
succeed in removing from the troops that have landed the
resouiees offered to them by Port Republican. Endeavour, l^
all the means of foroe and addreae^ to set that place on fire ; it ia

TOUSSAIMT h^OirWERTUBSL 187

cofurtmcted entirely of wood ; you have only to send into it
some £utkfal emissaries. Are there none under your orders
devoted enough for this service ? Ah ! my dear General, what
a miafortone that there was a traitor in that city, and that your
orders and mine were not put into execution.

'' Watch the moment when the garrison shall be weak in con-
sequence of expeditions into the plains, and then try to surprise
and carry that city, &lling on it in the rear.

** Do not forget, while waiting for the rainy season which will
rid us of our foes, that we have no other resource than destruc-
tion and flames. Bear in mind that the soil bathed with our
sweat must not furnish our enemies with the smallest aliment.
Tear up the roads with shot ; throw corpses and horses into all
the fountains; bum and annihilate everything in order that
those who have come to reduce us to slavery may have before
their eyes the image of that hell which they deserve.

** Salutation and Friendship,

(Signed) "Toussaint UOuvertubk."

"Toussaint L'Ouverture, Governor of Saint Domingo, to
citizen Domage, Brigadier-Greneral, commanding the district of
J^remie.

'' Head Quarten, Saint Marc, the 9th of Feb. 1802.

*' I smd to you, my dear General, my aide-de-camp. Chancy.
He conveys to you the present communication, and will tell you
from me what I have charged him to make known to you.

" The whites of France and of the Colony, united together,
wish to take away our liberty. Many vessels and troops have
arrived, which have seized the Cape, Port Kepublican, and Fort
Liberty.

" The Gi^ie^ after a vigorous resistance, has fidlen ; but the
enemy found* only a city and country of ashes ; the forts were
blown up, and everything has been burnt.

^ The town of Port Bepublican was surrendered to them by
the traitor Ag6, as well as Fort Bizoton, which yielded without
striking a blow, Uirough the cowardice and the treachery of

188

Bai^det The General of diviiion, DmmUum, a* thk^
maintainii a oordon at Croix dea Bouqoeli; mod all
plaoeeaxe on the delemiTau

** Ab J^iemie is -nrj liroiig ihioii|^ ita nafcoal
tages, yovL will maintain youaelf in it^ and defind it vilh
the coorage which I know joa pnaieMi Baiae the labounBi in
a man^ and infoae into them thk truth, namel j» that thaj mmt^
distrust those who have noetTed prodaniations from the wUfeas
of Fiance, and who seontij oironlate them in ofder to aednoe
the friends of libotj.

''I have ordered Liqphime^Brigadier-geDcnly to set on fin tha
dty of Cayes^ the other town% and all the plains^ in eaaa ka is
nnaUe to withstand the enem/a teoe^ and then all thetvo^a eC
the different gain8on% and aU the labooren^ should go to J^reaaiB
to augment your band; yon will take measures with General
Laplnme, for the dae execation of these things; you will
employ the women engaged in agricnltm^ in making dep6ts of
proTisions in great abundance.

*' Endeavour as much as you can to send me news <^ yoor
position. I reckon entirely on you, and leave you absolutely
master, to do everything in order to save us from the most
frightfrd yoke.

" Wishing you health,

'' Salutation and Friendship,
(Signed) » '' Toussmnt L*OuTXBTums."

CHAPTER VL

TooMoiBt L'OttTertore prepares Cr^te-ii-Pierrot m a pomt of renstiaoe tfuiiti
Ledere; who, muft«ring his forces, besieges the redoubt, which, after 1^

bnTCst defence, is eTacuiited by the blacks.

The district into which Toussaint L'Ouverture had sent his
&nily was that to which he meant to transfer lus resistanoe.
The mountain range which he resolved to occupy and entiendh,

TOUSSAINT L*OUVEBTURE. 189

bears the name of Artibonite, and is divided into two districts,
the one called the Grand Cahos, the other the Petit Cahos.
These mountains, over which he spread his 9xmj, are intersected
with deep ravines and precipitous outlets, at every one of which
a handful of brave men could arrest an army. The prin-
cipal entrance was defended by Cr6te-il-Pierrot, a redoubt which
blocked up the pass, and which the English had constructed
when they invaded the west.

In passing toward the new seat of war, where he was joined
by his chief generals, Toussaint was suddenly attacked with a
burning fever. His mind, however, so far mastered his body,
that he scarcely abated his activity, and formed designs of the
greatest daring, in making arrangements for attacking the
enemy in the rear. HI as he was, he set out to survey the dis-
trict, and arrived in time to prevent the demolition of CrSt4)-il-
Pierrot, which had been abandoned, and which Dessalines had
ordered to be rased. He then proceeded to add to its strength.
He supplied it with water and food, as precautions against a
siege. He placed in it a garrison, and gave the command to
Dessalines. Having called the officers together, he harangued
them thus : — '' Children, yes, you are all my children — ^from
Lamartini^re, who is white as a white, but who knows that he
has negro blood in his veins, to Monpoint, whose skin is the
same as mine : — I entrust to you this post ; take measures for its
defence.** The officers declared that he might rely on them,
living or dead.

To more destructive hands than those of Dessalines, this
important post could not have been confided. In his retreat,
that ferocious monster had dragged away from their homes all
the whites he could seize, whom the sword and the musket had
spared. These were conducted to Yerettes, Mirebalais, and
Petite Uividre, towns lying along the banks of the Artibonite.
There were renewed the frightful scenes of the first insurrection.
At the sight of the conflagration which reduced into ashes the
villages and the fields, at the foot of Mount Cahos, whero
Touasaint had entrenched himself, a vast carnage was made of
the whites. Four hundred men were massacred at Mirebalais

190

and Petiie Biviere. In no pihio wm tii» Jinghtw

at the TiUage of Y cratteiL At the nod cf

had been akvea, end who dnedad tibe

they were tiireetanod, dewreevan hmdied d the

tfart DewJiDee had dngged after him. Thednogliter

her laat on the boaom of her e»phring mniher. The

nnehle to mre the aon ; the aon wm nnahb to aaVe Hm

There a sister died in the arms of a farather; hnaa

to make her bod^ a means of deftnoe §at her infimi;

and her bkx>d flowed in one stnam. Further on, old

Tain implored pity from their temer abve^ whom they edkd

on by name, to being bade the lemembnuMe of pat aols fd

VmHnftwa. Wholo fiMttilJea weve thns bathed in blood. Mone

frightful and more atroeioiis still was the si^^ when araa defw

their Others, thus revenging themaelTes fin: the black blood of

their motherB, and the ne^^ect and disavowal of their fiithen.

So great was the fhry of the blacks and mnlattoes, that th^

even wreaked their rage on domestic animals which belonged to

the planters. Thus the banks of the Artibonite were covered

with fire and blood. Before the arrival of the French expeditioci

all there was peaceful, prosperous and happy.

The French felt deep compassion when on coming up they
beheld at Yerettes so many victims who still remained unbnried,
and who retained the attitudes in which they perished, as if to
paint an awful picture of the evils of slavery. They there saw
the arm of one victim locked in tliat of another, hand grasped
in hand, &oea fixed on the same object ; £ftther, mother, children
grouped together, a fiunily even in death ; young women who
in the last moments forgot not they were women; bodies which
had served as useless ramparts to friendship, and to filial and
paternal love : the scenes were horribl& Nor was their horror
abated by the fact that ravages scarcely less atrocious had been
committed by the white invaders. A little before, the bay of
ManceniUe had smoked with innocent blood. And on more
than one occasion had prisoners been slain in bands, in order
to strike alarm into the defenderr^ their native soil. All the
blacks^ however^ were not barbariana Many, moved by pity or

TousaAENT l'ouyxbtubb. 191

gntitode, saved the livee of unfortunate ooloniits ; some concealed
them in the mo^mtainB, and supported them by what they took
in hunting; others led them through bye paths, into districts
occupied by the French. There were blacks who, to prevent
suspicion on the part of pursuers, covered their white friends
with leaves and branches, and counterfeited drunkenness when
they thought there was special danger of discovery. Calamitiea
public and private so numerous and so terrible were more than
human strength could endure, and under their pressure some
persona lost their reason and others committed suicide. What
a complication of sorrows, all caused by slavery !

Having provided for the defence of the country of the Artibo-
nite, and directed Belair to occupy the moimtains of Yerettes,
Toussaint proceeded to execute his daringplan of taking Leclerc in
the rear in order to operate a diversion in feivour of the Artibonite
lines, and to reanimate the courage of the north. With a small
but resolute force Toussaint ascended the defiles, and the chain
of mountaLns which separate the Artibonite from the district of
Saint Michel. In vain was General Hardy detached in pursuit
of him by Leclerc, whose army was in movement to attack
Orete-^Pierrot. Toussaint appeared at Ennery, and the French
garrison which Leclerc had left there fled at his approach to
Grona&ves. He presented himself before €k>naives, and might
have captured it had he chosen. He was satisfied with alarming
the garnson, which was on the point of embarking on board a
frigate that was in the roads. Having attained his end he re-
turned to Ennery where he organized battalions of militia, who
were employed to guard and defend the country. This work
finished, he betook himself to Marmelade. There he sent an
order to Christophe, who was at Petite-Riviere, to return
promptly into the north, where, in the forest of Grande-Rividre,
there had, without the French being aware of it, been formed
a considerable desj^t of arms and ammunition. From Marmelade
Toussaint went to Plaisance. On his arrival he proceeded to
reconnoitre a fort situated on a height. A few hours after, he
placed himself at the head of two companies of grenadiers and
captured it. The following day he divided his troops into two

102

THE LtPB OF

bixUeii. Taking the cammond of llie right wing, be tnarcltetl
to meet Sesfoumc&ux, who was coming up to attack him. He
boi-o up agaiuat the impetuoaity of the Preuch troops, who were
much more iiiuieroua than his own, aud at length succeeded in
putting them to lligltt. Seoding in the mument of action am
ttide-de-caup to learn how things went on in the Ictl wing, he
was led to believe that DeafourueaiUL was mauocuTring eo fts to
ciiMuravcut hiiu. Thereufiou he lett the right to the core of
(!7olonel Gabarre, and with u few men hurried to the puint of
danger. Among the Euiopeau ti-oops he recognised the imiform
of the ninth Saint Domingo regiment. Advancing quit« alono
to within five or six paws of the i-egiment, which easily reco-
gnised their proper commander, he said, "Soldiers of the ninth,
will you dare fire on youi' genera) and on your brethren V The
woi'ds fell like a thunder-clap on the soldiers ; who forthwith
were on their knees, and, hut for the Eui'Opeaii troops, who hc^an
to fire, they would have joined Touasaint. Seeing the peril uf
their geuei-al, Tousswiit'a forces ilofended him against the Enro-
]>eaiiB. He escaped through the thick of a fire which was i^cty
(lesti'uctive. A youug otficer, bearing a letter fixtm Dessaliot^
to the Governor of the ialaud, received a mortal blow at the
moment that he delivered it, and exiiired in Touasaint's arme.
From that letter the General-in-chief learned that his aid was ur-
gently required at Cr6te-k-Pierrot ; thither therefore he repaired.
The French had been drawiug their strength under the fiiot
of the mountains of Caho& Aa they made their way they beheJd
the ravages committed by the enemy. Traces of fire and death
a|i{)earcd everywhere. Here and there they uieta great number
of colonists wandering in the woods and hanging on the sides of the
lOcks, with their wives and children, having escaped from death
only by chance or flight. The soldiers restored to tliem hope,
and pioiuiHcd them revenge. The sight of these unhappy people^
whose clothes were in rags, their cries, tiieir moanings, the hgr-
itpr with which they were stricken, inflamed the minds of their
itficucra, and prepai'od them for any atrocities. Without scnijilo
and without pity they massacred the herds of blacks whom tbo
bte of war had thrown into their hands ; two hundred they iigj

1

TOUSSADTT l'oUYERTUSE. 19S

laied at the fort of Mount Nolo ; a little farther on, six hundred
fall beneath their mnrderons handa Thus carnage was added to
eamage;, and black blood flowed to avenge white blood. The
savage and torn sides of Mount Cahos, the odorous banks of the
Artibonite, offered the spectacle of barbarity opposed to bar-
barity, and war was only prolonged assassination. These are
the hoirible devastations of slavery.

No graves were dug, no mounds were raised for sepulture.
Deesalines had prohibited interment, in order that the eyes of
bis assailants might see his vengeance even in the repulsive re-
mains of carnage. It is said that the monster slew a mother for
having buried her son. The French, carried away by the move-
ments of the war, gave no attention to the religious duty of
burial, so that the dead bodies became food for dogs, vultures
and crocodiles ; and their bones, partly calcined by the sun,
remained scattered about, as if to mark the mournful fury of
servitude and lust of power.

Fortune seemed to smile on Leclerc. He lost no time in
announcing to his brother-in-law his success, which he &iled not
to exaggerate — entire battalions that had joined his ranks, the
two provinces of the South and the East subdued, all the mari-
time cities in his power, — such were the heads of his triumphant
report. He described Toussaint L*Ouverture as a party-chief^
sidlen, violent, £umtical, hateful, breathing only fire and slaugh-
ter; he called him a barbarian, an imnatural father, sacrificing
his children to his passion for revolt, a mere fugitive slave^
devoured by remorse, abandoned and pursued. This news,
Which gave the comsul joy, delighted the colonists who had
remained in France, and revived the cupidity of the slave-dealers
whose vessels had for six years remained in harbour unproductive.

When however Bonaparte began seriously to reflect on all
that had taken place, his satisfaction was not a little diminished.
It was true that he held under his domination, the South rich in
manufactures, and the East fertile in pasturage. But what had
he conquered ) Lands in ashes. Port-au-Prince had miraculously
escaped firom the incendiary torch. But what a sight in other
parts I Those barbarians do not place the keys of their cities at

o

194 THS LIFE OP

the feet of their conqnerars. Tooflunt^ dedgnated s bttadit^ k
a formidable general in his monntama. The conaiil appliw
him-self to study that remarkable man. He ia the aool of
the war, and him he must reach, seise, and put in dana
That accomplished, what then) He most attach to ^iiyiti4f the
men of mixed blood, who are already partly his. Then diaoord
must be disseminated. The black in reroH will be oferoome hj
the subjugatcKi black. This was the oonsoTa policy. Theae were
his means for bringing the island into sobjectioiL To this
purpose, and for these results^ he wrote to Lederc But mddenly
the war took a new aspect.

Twelve thouMind men, the bravest soldiers of the v^mblifl^
arc assembled near Petite-Rivi^ to put down a reTolted
slave! Kochambcau, Hardy, Debelle, genenJs of great akill
and high powers, are stopped in a ra\'ine by a handful of revolted
«laves ! their pafwige is barred, their valour rendered nugatory
by a fow men whom thoy despise ! officer* and soldiers who have
giiiued victory and renown asjainst the fii-st troops of Europe,
peiLsli in Imge numbers under the blows of half-civilized blacks.
So much do the isjmes of war ilepend on opportunity ; so dear
is freedom ; so o<iIoiLs is servitude.

The first division which came up to the attack of Crcte-a-
Peirrot was that of Debelle. An soon as the French troops were
seen in the redoubt, Dcssalines o}>ened the gates. '* The gates
have been opene<l,'' he said, "for those who do not feel themselves
courageous enough to die ; while there is yet time, let the friends
of the French depart ; they h&vo nothing but death to look for
here."* After having sent away all whom sickness or fear made
desirous of going, he sjiread a train of gunpowder as &r as the
first gate, and seizing a torch, exclaimed, "Now for the first fire:
I will blow up the fort, if you do not defend it." Diuing these
things the French were advancing, preceded by a herald (4th
March 1802). The herald held a letter in his hand. Dessalines
ordered his men to fire. The herald fell dead. Firing began on
both sides in real earnest. For several hours it continued without
an interval The French rushed forward with their usual
bravery and enthusiasm, but it was only to meet deatL The

TOUSSAINT L'OUVSRTURE. 195

mcfment they were within reach, the batterieB were opened and
tlie groond was strewed with dead. The general-in-chief Debella
was giievonaly wounded, as well as Brigadier-general Deyaox.
The division was compelled to &11 back with the loss of fonr
Imndrad men.

This defeat deepl j affected the mind of LeclerCy who was then
act Port-au-Prince. Was his victorious career, then, to be delajed
hy a single stronghold? Not without apprehension he hastened to
the scene of action. He brought with him the division of
Boudet. While the troops were assembling, a scout of ToussaintX
in his seal to ascertain all he could« entered their camp, pretend-
ingto be a deserter. In the midst of his guard, General Boudet
questioned the man. When the former asked him how manj
whites he had put to death, the latter, with well feigned fear,
appeared overwhelmed. In the twinkling of an eye, having
learnt the condition of the French, he leapt from his horse.
Boudet, the first to observe the movement, attempted to seize
him, and had his thumb nearly bitten ofL The man got away,
slipped beneath the horse's legs, overthrew the soldiers who
attempted to stop him, ran toward the Artibonite, plunged into
the stream, and escaped amid a shower of balls. Arrived on
the opposite bank, he appeared to have been struck, for he fell as
if his thigh were broken. The presence on the other side of the
river of a reconnoitring party of the foe prevented pursuit. The
black scout, who had the rank of captain, appears to have been
carried off by his friends.

Among the troops which now advanced to the attack, there
w^ere Bigaud and P6tion. True to his instructions, Leclerc
added to the skill of his white soldiers the fury and the animosity
of mulatto blood.

In the interval which had elapsed since the first attack,
Dessalines had erected a new fort on an eminence which com-
manded that on which stood the fitmous Cr^te-a-Pierrot. The
new redoubt, though hastily constructed, was to witness the
defeat of the consul's boastful brother-in-law.

The French in advancing surprised a camp of blacks who
wereadeep. They fell on tlusm; tbe blacks imn toward the fwrt

o 2

106 THE UR OP

and the FreDch pursued them. Those who oould not enter th»
fort threw themeelTes into the moel Immeduitelj tlie fiMCt
opened its fire and mowed down the MwuhmfaL General PwnlBi
received a wound. At the moment when his divincHi wm on
the point of perishing that of Dugua came up. Forthwith thai
general was struck. Onlj one general officer kept the field.
Then the blacks rushed to the chaige. The French retreated.
In the retreat, Leclerc himnelf, who came up with reinfbvoemeiitay
received a serious contusion. This second attaek cost tlie
captain-general eight hundred men.

In their retrograde movement the Europeans had opportunities
of ascertaining how entirely the population was in enmitj against
them. On the plantations they saw the labourers watching
their movements. Those labourers exchanged shots with the
soldiers who flanked the column. If a party of scouts were
detached, they fled ; as soon as the scouts retired, they i^e-appeared«
The French army in«pjn.'d only terror.

A third attack wan io be made. Tlic stronghold was regu-
larly invested. Fresh troojw had come up. All that ability,
exiK^ricuce, labour and prowess could contribute w^as set in
vigorous action.

While the operations for the blockade were pixKjeeding, the
French soldiei-s heanl from the strongholds the wonls of the
very songs to whicli they had themselves marche<l against the
enemies of liberty in Europe, The effect was singular and
deep. "What! those blac^k men the injured, and we the in-
jurers! those black men the oppressetl, and we the oppressors!
Are we then no longer the servants and patrons of liberty ? The
republic gives freedom ; we are fighting for servitude." Such
impressions were little likely to increase the efliciency of repub-
lican soldiers. Their duty they would continue to do, but
services higher than a mere sense of duty can command were now
required.

By degrees, the works were completed and brought into
play against the redoubt. Partial successes were obtained.
Encouraged by these, Eochambeau thought himself able to cany
n battery, which he had for a moment silenced, by one blow..

TOUS8AI2VT L^OUTBRTURE. 197

He lost three hondred men in the uflelees attempt. Then a
•constant cannonade was commenced. From the 22nd to the
24th of March, it was carried on with great activity. The redonbt
was in the greatest periL

At this time a black man and a black woman were cap-
tured. Suspected to be spies, they were subjected to the
severest punishment. The man said he was blind ; nothing but
the whites of his eyes were to be seen. Only in leaning on the
aged negress, his companion, did he appear able to walk. She
aflfected to be deaf Scarcely any thing but groans and sobs
could the cruellest treatment extort from them. At length,
compassion prevailed. They were bid go about their business.
They had dreadfully suffered, and seemed unable to move. Not
before they were threatened to be shot, did they attempt to
walk. They were conducted beyond the outlying sentinels.
When fairly out of the reach of their enemies, they began to
dance ; and instantly darted off for the fort, where they were
received. They conveyed to its commander intelligence of the
approach of Toussaint UOuverture.

That very night (March 24) an attack was made on the French
lines which was repulsed only with difficulty and loss. That
attack was led by Toussaint himself who had conceived a project
worthy of his own genius. Having reason to think the north
could for some time give him no more trouble, and afraid lest
Crdte-a-Pierrot might be carried by storm, he hastened to the
Artibonite, intending with a few trusty soldiers to penetrate to
Leclerc's head quarters, make him prisoner and ship him off to
France. To aid him in his daring plan, a feint was made in the
Attack of which we have just spoken. And the captured fugi-
tives were sent to encourage the garrison to hold out.

The stratagem was too late. Lamartini^, who had taken
the command, with his accustomed bravery had done and endured
everything that man can do and endure. With his soldiers he
patiently bore hunger, thirst, sickness, exhaustion, and the pro«
■spect of death at any moment. With their aid, he performed
prodigies of heroism. But stone-walls are not proof against
<cannon balls and bombs. The forts were defended against

198 noB urm or

thoaauids of bnre Franchmfln, evmi wbon &llii^ into
But the hoar at length came. Then, whta^ rrwitanftfi was
the oommander reeolTed to out himielf a pawige throqgh tk»
raukfl of his enemies. He escaped from the handa of ItfiOQ
men, not having lost half hia gairiaon, and leading to hia
aiwailants oolj the dead and the wounded amida heap cf

CHAPTER Vn.

Shattered cunditian of the Fimch armj — Dark prospocU of TouMaint — Leclae
openB nogotiatioos for peaoo^wins over Christophc and Dpssalinca— offen to
recognise Touuaint as Governor-Genera] — receires his submission on coo.
dition of prcaenring univinial froedom — ^L'Ourcrture in the quiet of hia

Dearly had the reduction of Crete-a-PieiTot been bought by
the French. The loss deeply afflicted the captain-general, who
induced his subordinates to make it appear as slight as pondble^
remembering the contemptuous terms in which he had ^wken
of Toussaint and his forces, and well dreading the moral efiect
<m the inhabitants of the island.

After the capture of this stronghold, Leclerc took measures
for re-establishing his communications. He ordered Rocham-
beau's division to open them bj forming a junction at Cronaivea
with Deafoumeaux ; and directed Hardy with hia forces to make
for the Cape. The latter division were compelled to form for
themselves a road with their arms in their hands. Under the
impression that the invaders had sufifered a total defeat, Hardy
had with him only bands of fugitives who hastened to the Cape
in order to fly by sea firom the island, while on the whole line of
his march, ho encountered oppositicoi from regular troops or
armed labourers. But for tlie courage of the soldiers who were
kept under discipline, and the judgment and energy of the

TOUSSAIKT L'OUYSRTURE. 1^9

eommanderB, the whole diyision would have periahecL From
lour to five hundred men were lost on the route.

While the divisions of Bochjunheau and Hardy proceeded
toward the north, that of Boudet, under the command of General
Lacroiz, was commanded to return to Saint Marc, in order to
attack Belair, who up to that time had remained in observation
on the heights of Malheux, which stand to the south-east of that
post, between it and Mount Cahos. We give a report of the
undertaking in the words of its leader.

« We climbed the heights by the Bources of Mount Bonis. I
had often heard ^peak of a 'carabined road ;' but I waa^ I avow,
iar from forming an idea of the obstacles which I had to over-
come in order to open the carabined road of Matheuz. Yet
was I exp^ in work of the kind, having a year before opened
the passage of Splugen. In the memorable campaign of the
army of reserve, I had also traced round fort Bard, routes on
peaked mountains declared impassable. I had conveyed cannon
by those roads, thus executing an enterprise till then regarded
as impossible. That path roimd fort Bard threw down the
harrier which stood against the fortune of the first consul; by
that road the army of reserve gained the plains of Piedmont and
reconquered Italy on the field of Marengo. Precipices and road
accidents are every where the same; but in the Alps the bush-
wood is at least accessible, and the trees are of a determinate
height^ while in America the former are fine mountains and the
latter colossal masses which you can scarcely take in in one
view, and which you can displace only by strength of arm and
length of time. I doubt whether I could have been able to gain
the plateau of Matheux^ if Belair had added the efforts of his re-
sistance to the obstacles of the locality in which he was.

" After the most fatiguing march, I at last arrived at Matheuz.
Belair had quitted the plain the previous evening to join Deasar
lines on Mount Cahoe.

'^I wrote to him, suggesting that he should imitate the examples
of Grenerals Clervauz, Paul L'Ouverture, and Maurqpas, and
announcing that I was authorized by the captain-general to
guarantee to him and to his officers their military rank. Be

^0 THE LIFB OV

answered that he blindly followed the anthoritj of
L'Oavcrture, recogniaed governor for life^ hy the constitatkMi of
the colony, and by his numberkflB serrioos, which Fhuice seemed
disposed to disown.

<' The lofty position of Matheax preeented to ns the aapeot
of the champaign lands of France; we there fbnnd its atmo-
sphere; the Irnigs of oar soldiers dilated; we were agOe: on the
contrary, the blacks, whom we had as auxiliaries^ wore a ahrmik
appearance. In the different gorges of the moontain, we de-
livered from five to six hundred penons who had fled thither
from Saint Marc and the neighbouring buids. Hardy and
Rochambeau had set at large a thousand fugitives in Moont
Oahos.

" I collected on Matheux a large number of horses, mules, and
homed cattle, which Belair had got together. Two days after. I
began to march toward Port-au-Prince. A letter was brought
me from General Boudet, who, directing me to conduct his divi-
sion to that city, requested that I would make a processional en-
trance into it, and that in 8o doing, I should make the troops ap-
pear as numerous as possible, in order to efSace from the minds of
the men of colour in the West the imprcsRionR they had received
as to the extent of our loss. I put the troops into two ranks; our
sections marched at great distances; all our officers were on
horseback ; artillery ready for the field was sent to meet me; I
distributed it in the column with the baggage ; and our entrance
produced the moral effect which we expected."*

Nothing can more clearly show the valorous remstance made
by Toussaint L'Ouverture than the frank confessions made by
this respectable writer of the disorganized and weakened con-
dition of the French troops afler the capture of Cr^te-a-Pierrot.
Scarcely able to keep the field or effect a retrograde movement,
the decimated and shattered armies of Leclerc could not be
allowed, except when tricked out in this fashson, to return to the
capital of the island. What impudence, then, was that which
described the great African leader as a mere chief of banditti !

• "K^moirei pour lenrir 4 riustoire de k B^rolutioii,'' Ac, VoL ii p. ITS, Kq.

TOU8SAI19T L*0I7V£BTURE. 201

ftnd what did that leader want but the sapport of some
European power, friendly to human freedom, in order to
eatabliBh on a permanent basis that constitution which had
been so wisely constructed, and that liberty . which had been
purchased at so large a price, and of which the Haytian negroes
had proved themselves so worthy f Alas! such a friendly power
did not exist. England and the United States were both
committed to the support of slavery ; and the great war of the
African world had to be fought out by Toussaint alone. Well
was the conflict sustained, and though the immediate result was
adverse, the strife, we trust, will not have to be renewed. If
the plains, the mountains, and the ravines of Saint Domingo say
nothing effectually on behalf of negro rights, surely they cry
with so loud a voice, declaring the horrors of a war of '^ bloods,**
that even fear will suffice to break the bonds of the slave !

From the ruins and carnage of Crdte-a-Pierrot, L*Ouverture
hastened to the recesses of Mount Cahos, whither he had ordered
the brave defenders of that post to follow him. They, as well
as he, needed a few days* repose. And there, where he had for
some time formerly dwelt, he met his wife and fJEunily, and in
their society enjoyed a short tranquillity. Of this brief
leisure, he availed himself to write to Bonaparte, in order to ex-
plain to him the conduct of General Leclerc and to ask him to
send another to take his place, into whose hands he might resign
the oommand of the islaiid.

This was an hour for calm i*eflection Toussaint UOuverture
did not let slip. Thoughtful by nature, he now by the force of
eircumstances was drawn to the consideration of his past career
and his present position. He had effected much. At one
time, he thought he had achieved the permanent freedom of
haa colour. But alas! the constitution had not been ratified.
In defence of that solemn national act, he had not only again
and again risked his life and nearly forfeited all he possessed,
but he had given many a severe lesson to its assailants, and
taught them to respect and fear a man whom they disgracefully
attempted to enedave. Yet amid these triumphs, the final
success of his undertaking seemed now to recede into distant

202 THE LIFE OF

mist^ The preseut Wis tiark and gloomy. Leclero,

sbnttered forces, was atill strong, and ubould the army a

his command be aniiihilated, it could easily be replaced by tl

inexhaustible res^f''!^ "f Prance. Yet, so long m

lived, be was bound to labour in tlie sacred caufe he had muit

taken. With the past full in hia view, he could not d

Any way it is tor man to deeerve, aa it is for God to ffnta

Instead of Poking benuath his aonse of the great lo«a a
by the destruction of Creto-a- Pierrot, Touasaint, after » bviv
interval, resumed hoetile operations with an active energy oo^l
ttnrjiaased eveu lu hiii days ul' triuuiph. He had indeed dia>iK
peai'ed from the view of his foes, but it was only to deceive them
by &lae and rapid mai'ches, to prepare autbuacadea, to hanw
tliem on their flanks and in the rear ; to make them sink under t)M 1
fatigue, hunger, thirst, and want of sleep he compelled them toj
undergo. Ifow he covered hia flight by deseilis and by flaiae^
to make their ^'ictory more baneful than ordinary defeat ; naV
he waited for hie prey iu a <lefile, always doing mncli, hy t]
force of hia genius, to cany the wariart; beyond all ackuowled
rules. Clu'tstophe iu the north, Dessulin<s in the west, b
Ilia adroit and rapid movements. At the sound of tlie diui
belliiiheseut forth Irom the pulpit a manly and magi>:al eloqueiK
which ]»inted to tlie eye and impressed on the heart the hoironJ
of servitude and the delights of liberty, and pnticbed » i
which, acknowledging all men as brothers, disclaimed aai oon^
demned aluvety, and made his soldiers feel that iu tightiug fi
fi-ecdom they fought on tlie side of God and Christ. Hia «
over, he resumeii the Mjldier and the general, disappearod, 6
re-appeared, and seemed almost as if he }>ossestie<l a speciea a
omnqireaence. All the tunc he had an aiiny at hi^ oommaiiAfl
though where they wei-o, or what the number and t
Ilia troops, waa hidden to all but himself and a duMSU ft
while, by means aa sure aa they were hidden, he loamt i
thatt ook place among his wt-wilanta. Moved by tus »
his spies and soouts. now in apjieonmee blind, deaf, U
now beggars or fugitivee, made light of toil, ^leril, and tartw

TOUSaAIHT l'outebtube. 203

in a servioe which religion, as well as civil obedience, seemed
to them to exact.

The different bodies of the French army, who bdieved Tons-
saint mined, if not dead, felt hia blows on ererj side; as they
returned to the Cape, or to Port-an-Prinoe, he disturbed them,
beat them, worried them, alike in l^eir commimications, in their
attacks, in their mardies, in their retreat Eyerywhere, he car-
ried alarm and dread. When the soldiers entered the Oape^
Toussaint appeared in its subnrbs. The city required both walls
and defenders. The blacks, if they appeared to be friends,
proved to be enemies in reality. With all despatch, Lederc
raised anew the fortifications of a town in which, more than
ever, the jmity of servitude and the party of liberty disputed and
contended. In that war, no man knew his neighbour ; jcra
lived side by side with your enemy ; you slept under the same
roo^ you ate at the same table with him, and yet you knew him
not; for there were blacks on the side of the consul, and latere
were whites on the side of Toussaint. At length, arms were
taken up, the riiips supplied cannon, and the sailor was brought
on shore to fight. Only the more vigour did Toussaint put
forth, and the city was about to become his prey when iresh
troops arrived from France, and the black hero thought it pru-
dent to retire.

The position of Lederc had become one of extreme difficulty.
By painful experience, he had learnt with what singular enemies
he had to contend. Of what use was it to continue a war in
which victories cost so much and were so readily effiiced by re-
verses 1 Already had he lost five thousand men in battle ; a
like number, sick or wounded, were in the hospitals. Besides,
the war offered no reward; what glory was there even in totally
subjugating semi-barbarian blacks? Conquest, instead of en-
riching the soldier, only carried him into biuning towns or desert
mountains. The army murmured ; the climate was intolerable;
the work they had to perform was repulsive. " The consul,''
they said, " has sent us here to perish, companions though we
are of his achievements and sharers in his glory.**

These, and similar complaints, which reached the ears of the

201 THP UFB or

captain of the expeditioDy occasioned him lively diaquietiidey tbe
rather because his army was attacked by a malady whichy bad
a8 it wasy threatened to become more deadly; and atthom^ be
expected fireali troops, acaroely would all ataffioe tokeep the popor
lation in order, to say nothing of the exigencies of war. He
had, it in true, many blacks under his banners, but could be
count ou their fidelity ? Did he not know, that their chie& who
showed the most zeal and devotion, were wrapped in impcDe-
trable dissimulation, and that he kept them obedient only by
reiterated promises of liberty.

The people of colour appeared to him more devoted, but bad
they not, iu preceding wars, passed now into the party of the
whites, and now into that of the blacks, as much from incon-
stancy as for the sake of liberty 1 The barbarous clue&, however,
who were his enemies, gave him most concern ; Christopher
filled with prowess and intrepidity ; Dessalines, that savage
Achilles, of unequalled courage and fiiry ; Toussaint, who by his
prolific genius was ca])able of everything, who escaped only to
reappear, who everywhere caused foes to spring up under the
feet of his armv, as if thev were bom of the mountains.

Reflecting on theMo thingH — counting his losses, sur\'eying his
disapiH)iutmeutb, measuiing his enemies, calcidating his difficul-
ties, and forecasting his prospects — Leclerc came to the determi-
nation that he should act wisely, if he tried what could be done
in the way of negotiation. Should the attempt fiul, he would
liave gained time ; should it succeed, he would have put an end
to a doubtful and disastrous war.

Among the heads of the hostile army, Christophe had shown
the least aversion to accommodation. With him, Leclerc
commenced his negotiations ; he intimated to Christophe that,
as the mother country would unquestionably give legal confir-
mation to the abolition of servitude, the war was useless and
without an object, and that the sole obstacle to peai^e being the
ambition of Toussaint, he would arrange with him in order to
arrest that chief in the most secret manner ix)ssible. Instead of
becoming the instrument of that perfidy, Christophe replied in
language and tones of virtue, saying that to arrest his friend.

T0U8BAIKT L^OUYXBTURS. 205

Ilis companion, his chie^ would be to betray at once friendship
and honour, as well as his country; and that a treason so dis-
graceful could not for a moment be entertained by him. He
ended his letter with these words : ** Show us the laws which
guarantee our liberty, then Toussaint, my brethren, myself — all
of us — ^will with joy throw ourselves into the arms of oiur mother
country. How could we believe the consul's words, brought to
us, as they were, amid demonstrations of war ? Excuse/' he
added, " the fears and the alarm of a people which has suffered
so much in slavery : give it grounds of confidence, if you desire
to terminate the calamities of Saint Domingo ; then, forgetting
the past, we shall in security enjoy the present and the future."

Struck with the wisdom and energy of this reply, Leclerc felt
that it was more than ever necessary to put away all idea of
slavery, which could be restored only in very different circum-
stances. With this view, he dealt freely in protestations. The
consul, he urged, could not have proposed laws for a country
with which he was not acquainted, but in the name of the Su-
preme Being, the avenger of falsehood, he affirmed that the
liberty of the blacks was the basis of the laws which would bo
passed.

An interview ensued, and, in reliance on the protestations
and the oath of Leclerc, Christophe went over to the French
with twelve hundred men, surrendering the mountains of Limb6,
Port-Fran9aia, and Grande Bividre, with an immense amoimt of
warlike stores.

Christophe immediately sought an interview with Toussaint,
and among other things, remarked that Leclerc appeared very
sorry at having undertaken the war, that he had done so in the
persuasion that he could soon bring it to a successful termina-
tion, and that, being now disabused of that error, was desirous
of concluding a peace ; adding that, at the express request of the
captain-general, he wished to converse with Toussaint on the sub-
ject.

On his part, Toussaint complained that Christophe had
listened to overtures from the enemy, contraiy to military

206 TBS UFE cm

diitcipline, since he had no authority finom hia snpaior
Before leaving, Chriato|^ put into the handa of Tnnwaint a
letter from Lederc Prevented at the moment fi»m vending
the commanication, Tooaaaint did no4 leam till after Ghrii-
to|)he*B departure, that he had gone over to the IWich. The
regret which he felt gave place to astoniahment, and aatonidi-
ment was Hucoeeded bj indignation. He sent for Acyvtan^
General Fontaine, the chief of hia ata£^ and to him alone oommn-
nicated the contents of the letter, directing him to go to Cbria-
tophe, and command him to repair to the head-qnartera at Mar-
melade, in order to explain hia condact. The traitor aifcciwl
compliance. Many of hia officers^ on hearing of the «ti— twnn of
General Fontaine, declared that they had been misled. On his
return, that officer reported the surrender of Port-Fran^aia and
other phvccs. Toiisaaint UOuverture assembled his chief officers,
and announced to theui the extraordinary event. Christophers
conduct appeared to them no less incomprehensible than blame-
worthy. The news liaving spread among the (people and the
soldiers, they burst forth in reproaches against him, and by a
spontaneous movement, assembled around Tousmint's dwelling
to assure him of their fidelity an<l devotedness.

In this conjuncture, the ho|)e of on approaching peace, which
for a moment even Toussaint had indulged, vanished wholly.
The warlike spirit became universal, together with indignation
at the treachery. All swore to die for their chief, because in so
doing they would die for liberty. Toussiiint's orders flew on all
sides in order to prevent or abate the consequences of the per-
fidy. He still had, in the west and in the north, £iithful batta-
lions and devoted districts ; the less his resources became, the
more grand did his character appear. Had fortune, then, aban*
doned liim 1 Could he no longer look to- the Highest of all
Powers, whose work he had undertaken, and by whose hand he
had been guided and protected % Was his country, after all, to
fall under the dishonourable yoke of servitude 1 Adversity
crashes only ordinary men ; Toossaint took courage even from
despair.

Shortly, he learned that Dessalines had imitated Christophe

ToussAixT l'ouvekture. 207

and joined the ranks of the enemy. This was the second heayy
blow. Tonflsaint did not so much regard the individiial loss of
these two leaders, nor the loss of the troops they carried with
them, nor the loss of the lands they commanded, as the loss of
his own influence whidi most ensue, and the perplexity in which
be found himself as to who was and who was not trustworthy.
His beat captains — Christophe, Dessalines, Laplume, Clervaux,
bis two brothers, his nephew, were in the camp of his foes.
Where oould he be sure to find men worthy of his confidence ?

Under these circumstances it was that Lederc put every
means into action in order to induce Toussaint to come to an
accommodation. The captain-general waH the more desirous of
such a result because, though he knew that Toussaint's power
was broken, he knew also that the population at large were
whoUy alienated from his own government, and might at any
moment be roused to a resistance more determined and more
sanguinary than what they had made already. With a view to
i^ipease the hardly suppressed ill-humour, Lederc had sent
Bigaud out of the isUnd, hoping thereby to gain some favour
with the blacks. The e£fect on the whole was inconsiderabla
Even after their treachery, the negro chiefis were idols, while
Frenchmen were objects of indifference or detestation. This
eontrasted feeling was observed, and is spoken of by an eye-
witness thus :—

'^On arriving at the Cape, I had occasion to make very
serious reflections. I saw many of our general officers in full
uniform pass by ; the inhabitants, no matter what their colour,
showed no sign of exterior deference. Suddenly I heard a
noise — it was General Dessalines ; he came £or the first time to
pay his respects to the Captain-General Lederc. The popula-
tion of both sexes and of all colours rushed to meet him : they
fell down at his approach. I was saddened rather than revolted.
Darik: and painful ideas accompanied me to the mansion of the
general-in-cfaie£ In the ante-chamber I fotmd General Dessa-
lines. The horror he insfnied me witb kept me at a distance
£rom him. He asked who I was, and came to me, and without
looking me in the face, said, in a rough voice, ' I am General

208 THB UR or

; in bad times, Qenen], I liATe beud yoa mncfc
spoken o£* His bearing and his mannen wero savage ; I was
surprised at bis words^ wbicb announced asBiiianoe ntlner than
remorse. The barbarian must have felt himself powerfol, or he
would not have dared to take that attitude."*

Once before bad Lederc made an attempt to bring Tousaaint
to treat. The attempt fidled. A second effort had a diflhrant
iiesult. To Leclerc*s OTertnre, Touiwaint in substance replied^
" I am powerful enough to bum and raTsge, as well as to sell
dearly a life which has not been useless to the mother coontij.*'
But with bootlcsH destruction such a mind as Tminnaiuf'ii could
not be satisfied. For a great object he had taken up arms : if
that object could be secured bj peaceful means, his duty was
clear. This view, on which his own mind had for some time
been dwelling, was enforced by the representations and advice of
]>erHons around him, whose fidelity and courage gave them a
right to be heard. Toussaint became less indisposed to listen to
terms of accommodation. Leclerc proposed, as the ])rincipal con-
ditions of peace, to leave in Toussaint's hands the government of
Saint Domingo, to hold by his side the office of delegate from
France, and to employ Toussaint*8 officers according to their
rank. " I swear," he said, " before the fece of the Supreme
Being, to respect the liberty of the people of Saint Domingo.**

Toiissaint L'Ouverture replied, '* I accept everything which is
favourable for the people and for the army ; and, for myself, I
wish to live in retirement."

Noble resolution ! resolution worthy of all thy previous con-
duct, thou noble-hearted man ! All for others, nothing for thy-
self ! Yet had he now the option of retaining supreme power in
the island, sanctioned and guaranteed by French authority.
And out of that supreme power, were he ambitious, he might
have carved a crown. But didst thou think that thy frank
disinterestedness might be turned to thy own ruin ? The possi-
bility could hardly have escaped thy sagacious and foreseeing
mind. Nevertheless, rather wilt thou incur any i>ersonal risk
than prolong the horrors of this war, which every day becomes
more fratricidal and more disastrous !

* M^moirei, Ac, par Lacroiz, iL 191, 2.

ToussAnrr l'ouvebturk. 209

As a consequence of this accommodation an interview between
Tonssaint and Leclerc was agreed on. It was proposed that
they should meet on a spot in the mountains of Momaj.
Learning that the place had given rise to suspicions, Toussaint
magnanimously resolved to repair to the Cape. His journey
was a triumph. Everywhere crowds pressed and prostrated
themselves before the hero. They hailed him as their friend ;
they hailed him as their liberator ; for in their acclaim they bore
in mind that the liberty for which he had fought, was sanctioned
and secured by the captain-general*s solemn oatL His arrival
at the Cape was announced by salvos from both the sea and the
land forces. The multitude surrounded him with demonstra-
tions of love and veneration; the mother pointed him out to
her child, and girls strewed his path with flowers. Leclerc
received him in his mansion, situated near the sea. Daring the
interview four himdred horsemen, who had accompanied Tous-
saint, stood near, drawn up in order and with bare sabres. To
the captain-general Toussaint was no longer a fimatical slave in
revolt, and condemned to death, nor was he an unnatural father.
The consul's brother-in-law took pains to laud his good faith and
his magnanimity. He dwelt with emphasis on the reconciliation
thus ratified, which would restore prosperity to the colony. He
repeated his oath in presence of the chiefe of the two armiea.
*^ General,*' he said, " one cannot but praise you and admire you
when one has, as you have done, borne the burden of the govern-
ment of Saint Domingo. Your presence in this city is a proof
of your magnanimity and your good faitL Our reconciliation
will make this island, of which you are the restorer, bloom
again ; and will consolidate its new institutions, which are the
fundamental basis of the liberty and the happiness of alL"

"When the people of Saint Domingo," replied L'Ouverture,
" triumphed in a war foreign both in relation to France and to
themselves, they never thought that they should ever have to
resist their natural protector. If explanations had preceded
your arrival in this island, the cannon would not have been fired,
except to welcome the envoy of a great power, and you would,
on reaching these shores, have seen no other lights than /eua da

p

210

ynf^ Yoa knew for oa^Msitsj iluit I wm ai Sanlo Dominga
There was still time to send me news of yovr miminin WImq
yoa were before the Gapa^ Qenend Chrktophe begged joa \»
grant him delaj safficicnt to aoquaint me with the fiwi that a
French squadron was on our ahocea; yov m^t reaaooabfy ha.Te
acceded to his request, instead of rednoing the people to despair
bj jour threats, and ezpoeing toot annj on the crater of a
Tolcana**

Lederc admitted that pilots, whom he had taken near the
baj of Samana, had assmed him that Tom win t L'OaTertnre waa
at Santo Dominga ^ Bat I am the brother-in-law of the firat
consul ; I am comnumder-in-chief of a Frmdi armj, and conae-
quently in position and rank superior to General Ghristophe, and
I did not think it consistent with my dignity to stop before a
brigadier-geDcral, and to listen to all his allegations."

^ Nevertheless,"* rejoined Toussaint, *' }'ou waited for four days,
and you will agree that some days more would not have done an
injury to your honour, since, according to the words and the
letter of your brother-in-law, you are intrusted with only a
pacific mission. It seems to me that by patience you would
have served equally France and Saint Domingo."

'' It is true ; but I was not master of myself Let us retain
no recollection of the past \ all shall be repaired. Let us.
General, rejoice at our union. Your sons, the officers who have
accompanied you, as well as the generals and officers of my army,
who are here, must be witnesses of our common gladness." At
these words the door of the hall opened, and at Leclerc's invita-
tion all the persons who were in the next apartment entered
and took their places. In their presence the captain-general
renewed bis oaths. During this exchange of words Leclerc,
pressing Toussaint as to the reduced condition of his resources,
asked him where he could have obtained arms to continue the
war. In a truly Lacedemonian manner the hero replied, ''I
would have taken yours."

Presently there entered a fine boy, who leapt on the neck of
Toussaint L*Ouverture— it was his youngest son. During the
war he had been lost by his &ther, and carried off by the French.

TOUSSAINT l'oUVEBTURB. 211

Taken to the Cape, he was consigned to the care of his tutor;
and now, as a touching pledge of friendship, he had heen restored
to his &ther, who was deeply affected by thus recovering his
beloved child.

In returning from this conference, in the details of which we
learn on how insignificant causes depend peace and war with
all their mighty issues, Tousaaint L'Ouverture passed through
the posts of the French army, in the midst of the acclamations
of the soldiers, the militia, and the people, who crowded aroimd
him; and tmder salvos of artillery entered Marmelade, where
the commander received him at the head of his own troops.
The day following he addressed the grenadiers and the dragoons
of his guard. Having spoken to them of the peace, and shown
them that it could not be violated except by perjury, he praised
their courage, and thanked them for the love and devotedness
they had displayed toward himself and solemnly declared that
the recollection of their deeds would for ever remain engraven
on his mind. In order to testify to them his satisfaction, and at
the same time take his &rewell, he embraced all their officers.
Those brave and hardy veterans could not restrain their tears,
and the soldiers were sad and inconsolable. Toussaint then
took the road for Ennery, which he had chosen for his residence.
When near it, he was surrounded by crowds of people, who
shouted out, " General, have you abandoned us 1"

"No, my children," he answered, "all your brethren are under
arms, and the officers of all ranks retain their posts."

When Toussaint L'Ouverture had fixed himself in the fertile
and delightful valley of Ennery, to enjoy the repose of private
and domestic life, he found occupation a necessity, and employed
his energy in repairing and improving the dwellings of the in-
habitants, and dispensing around him other benefits. Though
retired from the world he was not forgotten. Generals and
other officers of the French army, and strangers from distant
lauds, came to visit him, and were welcomed with an affi^bility
which was a part of his nature. Exempt from fear and dis-
quietude, he lived in the bosom of his family as if he had been

212

THE Lim OP T0U8A4IVr L*OfJVEBTUBE.

guarded by an arm j. He rode over the ooontiyy and was
where greeted with tokens of xecpect.

With the cesBation of hostilities, bands of black troops de-
scended from the moontainsy and the two armies mingled together
as brothers. Freedom rendered firiends those whom slaveiy had
made deadly enemies. The population laid down their arms to
oigagc in the labours of the field. The dwellings^ "v^ch the
fear of servitude had burned down, rose again under the reign
of liberty. With a view to confirm the peace, the captain of
the expedition put into the hands of Christophe the police of
the north, and into those of Desaalines the police of the west.
The cities which had been consumed were rebuilt. Vessels
soon filled the ports. Commerce began once more to flourish.
Everything promised a smiling future. Songs were heard and
dances were seen in the villages. The whole country ofiered a
proof how happy this world would be but for the disturbances
occasioned by human passions.

BOOK III.

FAOM THE RAVAGES OP THE YELLOW FEVER IN HAYTI UNTIL
THE DEPORTATION AND DEATH OF ITS UBERATOR.

CHAPTER I.

Leclerc*s iineMj position in Saint Domingo from insufficiencj of food, from tlie
existence in hia srmj of large bodies of blacks, and especiallj from a most
destmctiTe ferer.

Ere long, the natural consequences of the ravages which had
been carried over the country, and of the abstraction from agri-
culture of a large portion of the population, were felt in scarcity
of provisions, the rather that Saint Domingo did not abound in
articles of human food of a superior kind. This scarcity was
augmented by the necessity of supporting out of the public
magazines a large number of soldiers, for though the European
part of the army was much reduced, a large number of blacks
and men of colour had been thrown on the government stores.
Shortness of food and the high prices which ensue, are specially
trying to a government of force. Complaints began to spread
among the native population, and not without difficulty were
the servants of the state supplied with the necessaries of Hfe.

Application for aid was made to the governors of foreign pos-
sessions in the neighbourhood. The Spaniards furnished supplies
with chivalrous geneixwity; but those supplies were very fex
from being sufficient. The English, who had not anticipated
the success of the French arms, and saw that success with un«
easiness, refused to give succour. From Americans a similar
answer was received. The conduct of their agents disclosed the

214 THE -UFB OP

regret which their govemmentB fUit in not finding «t Sainfc
Domingo, under the French sway, the oommercial adimntagea
which they enjoyed while it was rakd Uy Toonunt L'Oavertanu
The b-tate of the island, combined with the natiye politeneM of
the French character, caused attentions to be paid to fi>reign ships
and visitors, which were interpreted into tokens of a sense of ci^il
and political weakness. This adverse impressioii fimnd its vaj
into the minds of the black% so that the ifuzit of the oolonial
army became increasingly difficult to manage. Thus what at
first was the captain-general^s power, proved a source of weak-
ness and embarrassment. To provide a remedy, he attempted
to incorporate the colonial troops with the reinforcements that
came from France, but the prejudices of Europeans rendered the
plan all but nugatory. Tet, if it was dangerous to have entire
large bodies of blacks, it was not leas dangerous to dischai^ and
dismiss them at once. Leclerc had no resource but time, and
sought to govern by dividing. Accordingly, he took care to
employ black soldiers only in small detachments, and regarded
even desertion with satisfaction. He could not, however, feel
at ease unless he knew that the blacks were resuming their agri-
cultural labours, and though in sending them back to the plantar
tions, he received assistance from some of tlieir chiefe, he was
made sensible of the want of such an influence as that which
Toussaint UOuvertiu^ had exerted before the war, and effected
his purpose only on a limited scale.

These difficulties, however, though in themselves not small,
were inconsiderable compared with those which sprang from a
terrible malady with which the island, and especially its Euro-
pean inhabitants, was now visited. The yellow fever, which
had already proved destructive, broke out with great violence at
the same time at Port-au-Prince and at the Cape. It appeared
there in a form unusually repulsive and deadly. It seized persons
who were in good health, without any premonition. Sometimes
death was the immediate consequence. Happy those who were
immediately carried off ! Ordinarily it was slow in its progress as
well as frightful in its inflictions. The disorder began in the brain,
by an oppressive pain accompanied or foUowed by fever. The

TOUSSAINT l'OUYERTURE. 215

patient was devoured with burning thirst. The stomach, dis-
tracted by pains, in vain sought rddef by efforts to disburden itself
Fiery veins streaked the eye; the £eu» was inflamed, and dyed of
a dark dull red colour; the ears from time to time rang painfully.
Now mucous secretions surcharged the tongue, and took away
the power of speech ; now the sick man spoke, but in speaking
had a foresight of death. When the violence of the disorder
Approached the heart, the gums were blackened. The sleep,
broken, or troubled by convulsions or by firightful visions, was
worse than the waking hours, and when the reason sank under
-s delirium which had its seat in the brain, repose utterly forsook
the patient's couch. The progress of the fire within was marked
by yellowish spots, which spread ovw the surfiu^e of the body.
I^ then, a happy crisis came not, all hope was gone. Soon the
breath infected the air with a fetid odour, the lips glazed, despair
painted itself in the eyes, and sobs, with long intervals of silence,
ibrmed the only language. From each side of the mouth spread
foam, tinged with black and burnt blood. Blue streaks mingled
with the yellow over all the frame. Death came on the thir-
teenth day, though more commonly it tarried till the seven-
teenth. All remedies were useless. Barely did the victims

The malady produced a general melancholy. Its depressing
effects were visible in the troops who had not yet been stricken
vrith the fever. Ton saw the men regard each other with furtive
glanoes, and in deep yet ominous silence: their arms looked
tarnished; their steps were heavy and slow. Unconquerable in
the field, they already felt themselves the victims of destiny.
When undergoing review, the men, scarcely expecting to see
•each other again, affected a foolish gaiety, the real character of
which was betrayed by a bitter smile, or took leave of each
'Other sadly, as pilgrims, through suffering, to the dark shores of
the eternal world.

The dty of the Gape then presented one of those sights which
are rare in the history of human calamitiea Scarcely had a
part of the buildings destroyed by the conflagration been hastily
reconstructed, when the town and the hospitals were filled with

216 TUB UVB OF

the sick and the djing. The chief hof^taly ntiiated on a he^g^
wliich overhangs the city, having heen hunt down, mnaiftod
now only of large aheda ooTered with augar cuieaL Tlwran the
patients were for the moat part laid in straw, nnprovidad with
necessary appliances, exposed now to the foiy of 8tonn% now to
torrents of rain, and now to the homing rays of the son. Thoae
remaining in the city were hotter protected and cared for, hot
breathing an imporer air, and deprived of hreeaea by the moon-
tains, they soffered scarcely leaii^ and died aa certainly.

Military discipline disappeared : the common sddier had the
same authority as the general, and each general acknowledged
no authority except his own. Men spoke no more of combats,
of exploits, of glory. The heart of the soldier sank within him.
Even the funeral knell ceased its mournful sounds; the common
calamity crushed the sense of religious observance. In the midst
of disorder and confusion death heaped victims on victims.
Friend followed friend in quick succession ; the sick were avoided
from the fear of contagion, and for the same reason the dead
were left without buriaL Despair alone remained in activity —
fierce despair, fur the dying man could cast his eye on neither
friend nor nurse, and had to sufiei* and expire in terrific solitude
or more terrific companionship. The countiy, the mountains,
the sea, afforded no place of refuge. The troops that were
removed to a distauce from the towns were not the less attacked.
Their camp was transformed into an hospital SoUliers died
under trees laden with fruit and under plauts breathing perfumes.
The ships of war and merchant vessels lost their crews. Eight
and forty passengers from Bordeaux expiretl in disembarking at
the Cajie. Terrified at the destruction, some, on neariug the
island, went on board vessels that were quitting its infected
shores^ yet perished, smitten by the poisoned air. Four thou-
sand men who came in Dutcli vessels |)erishecL Fear multiplied
the victims.

When the malady was in all its force, human passions mani-
fested their guilty excesses. Virtue was disregarded when it no
longer offered an earthly reward. Some sought distraction and
relief to their wretchedness in gambling and in voluptuousness ;

TOU88AINT l'oUVERTURE. 217

Tiolenoe and adultery became oommon. Others endeayoured to
drown their torments in reckless intoxication; others, again,
attired in military costome, which at such a moment was simply
lidiculouSy threw insult at the disease, and braved death, either
in satirical gaiety or in buffooneries, or in roars of siUy laughter.
The words *' Ah ! the funny feUow,** became a derisive phrase to
indicate a poor wretch that was trying to laugh or trick away
his calamity. Others, again, deep sunk in guilt, sought to
deceive death in the arms of a mistress or in perfumed baths.
While all around was perishing, songs were heard from the sea.
They were the attempts of men who thus tried to cheat them-
selves into momentary joy. The nearer men were to eternity, the
more greedy they were of the pleasures of earth.

Pauline, the wife of Leclerc and the sister of the consul, did
not renounce her voluptuous habits in the midst of so terrible a
plague. In the hope of breathing a less infected air, she had
gone to a country house, on the declivity of a pleasant hill
which overhung the sea. Here slie passed her hours in pleasure
and luxury. She saw die around her officers whose incense she
had welcomed, but for whose sufferings she showed no concern —
« intent only on putting away all unpleasant objects, and seizing
with avidity on sources of gratiOcation. Now she caused her-
self, like a queen, to be borne in a palanquin through the most
beautiful scenes of nature ; there would she, for hours together,
dwell in contemplating the ocean and its delightful shores,
loaded with the luxuries of tropical vegetation : now she plunged
into the depths of odoriferous forests, and surrendered hei-self
to the captivating reveries of love; and now she sailed on the
sea, accompanied by courtiers, musicians, and buffoons, as if she
would sustain the character of Venus rising from the waves.

What is still more remarkable is that she took paius to defy
the malady by festivities, in which she gathered around her
dancing, music, pleasure, and voluptuousness: there she drew
on herself admiration by her wit, her graces, her beauty, and
the ravishing tenderness of her looks. But around and in
those festivities. Death bore his funeral torches. The baUs
which she ceased not to give took place on the brink of

218 THB tlWE OP

the grave. The dancers of to-night wane dead on the monow:
But the more joyous did ihe aflfoet to afipear. ^Theee^" d^
said, *' are oar last moments; let ns paa tlMcm in pleasnwL*

As the disorder raged in other ^Hmcm as wdl as in the cifties
of the Cape and Port-an-Prinoey there died eroy daj, on land
and on sea, not less than from three to firar hundred peiaons. More
and more irregular in its symptoms and its oonrse, the fever
ha£Qed and defied the skill of ihe physicians^ who died together
with their patients.

The little attention which at first was paid to fonenl zite%
hecame lees and lesi^ and soon was wholly disoontiniied. Hie
dead bodies were pat on the oatside of the doofs and oairied off
by night. If anything ooold excite oomftmakm^ it was to see
on some of those livid firames the soars of wo«mds received in
the battles of Euro{)e, where he had gained his fame who sent
those warriors and heroes to die on a distant foreign and deadly
shore. As it was necessary to remove the dead as soon as they
had breathed their last, some were carried off while yet alive;
groans were heard in the heaps of abandoned corpses, and fiom
the putrid mass some rose and returned to take their plaoe
among the living. As very many bodies were tossed into the,
sea, the waves bore them up and down the harbour, or left them
on the shore, painful mementoes to spectators, and food for
birds and beasts of prey, while they added to the fi>ul in&ction
with which the atmosphere was burdened

During the prevalence of these accumulated disasters, the
black population, proof against the pest, remained fiiithful to
the peace which had been forced on them and their venerated
chief. Had they chosen to rise, the whole expedition would
have perished Their virtue was more than abstinence from
self-aveugement. With characteristic hospitality they received
sick persons into their homes, and gave them unlooked-for aid :
they did more ; they gave them tears and S3rmpathy, seeing in
them not Frenchmen and assailants, but sufferers. There were
other benefactors. Sisters of charity, truly worthy of the name^
went firom street to street, and firom bed to bed, ministering
with tenderness and skill to the sick, the despairing, and the de>

TOUSSAINT L'OUYERTURE. 219

parting. Womanly love was almost the only virtue that main-
tained itself erect. AA'hen all other remedies had proved vain,
that noble affection showed itself fertile in resources, nor was it
the less respectable because in the extremity it resorted to fetish
practioes which had their origin in Africa. More simple and
even more touching was that manifestation of it which com-
pelled young women to follow their lovers to their graves.

Amid the fiuthlcss only faithful found.

It is terrible to think that some of these worthy women may
afterwards have been repaid with slavery.

At length, when the summer heats had reached their height,
the malady redoubled its fury, and broke down alike benevo-
lence and virtue. Then was the harvest of deatL According
to authentic tables, there died fifteen himdred officers, twenty
thousand soldiers, nine thousand sailors, and three thousand
persons who loosely hung about the skirts of the army in quest
of employment or fortime. Not fewer than fourteen generals
lost their lives in the plague. Of that number was Debelle,
whose virtues made him regretted alike by foes and friends;
Dugua, an intrepid and joyous old man, whose hairs had grown
grey on the borders of the Nile ; Hardy, who had displayed rare
courage in the victories and the reverses of the expedition.
Almost incredible is it that there died seven hundred medical
men, worthy, for the most, of high praise, such was their courage,
their patience, their devotedness.

The malady changed the character of the army. Those who
survived, experiencing a long and difficult convalescence, became
habitually depressed, morose, or exasperated. Some liad their
memory weakened; some remained broken down or crippled
for life. Discipline was restored with difficulty. Even news
from home brought little pleasure, and gave only a transient
relief; and communications with France were intercepted, in
order, so &ir as possible, to conceal frt)m the mother country the
awful loss which she had endured.

Such was the terrible punishment which fell on the predatory

220 THB LIFB OP

expedition sent by the CanacKa adv en t u rer agtinst tlie horo and
patriot of St. Dominga

And can there be a more dedaire proof d anjrthmg Uyut we
have here of the honour of TonsBaint L*Oavertare f The necea-
aity of the French waa hia opportunity. With what ease now
might he have mastered those blacks which were in Ledere*8
way, and extorted from hia enfeebled hands the aovereignty of
the island. That Toussaint remained quiet at Ennery disp ro ves
the base insinuations which were fitbricated expressly for his
ruin.

CHAPTER n.

Bonaparie and Lcclerc conspire to efiVct the arrest of Tonssaint L'Ourertiire.
who is treacheroiulj seized, soot to France, and confined in the castle of
Joux : partial risings in consequence.

If the efltabliahment in Saint Domingo of the authority of
France had been the object of the expedition, the present settle-
ment of its afiairs would have been left to unfold its resources,
and the blessings of the existing |)eace would have been perma-
nent. All opposition had been put down. Mutual explanations
had been given. With one exception the leaders of the blacks
held rank and |x)wer in the French army. Toussaint L*Ouver-
ture, the only exception, was engaged in rural pursuits and acts
of beneficence, l^eclerc was sole master in the island. Havti
was now at least a colonial dependency of France. And if there
were evils or obstacles which ho could not at the moment put
away, they were nothing more than such as promised to disap •
pear before good government, aided by the healing and reforma-
tory liand of time. £ven through the tempest of the plague,
tokens of coming serenity were readily discerned. But the
occupation of the island was only the first act in the drama.

The intelligence of the ravages of the fever in St. Domingo
ahocked the mind of Bonaparte, though he had foreseen and

TOUS83LINT l'oUVERTURE. 221

even premeditated the calamity. One obstacle which lay in his
way to the imperial throne had been removed. So hr the ex-
pedition had not proved nugatory. There were two other ob-
staclea One was the freedom of the blacks. Such freedom, in
the consults eyes, was licentiousness. It was, moreover, incom-
patible with his designs. If Saint Domingo remained free, the
other French colonies must and would be free. In their eman-
cipation, the colonial system would be endangered, nay, would
soon be lost ; for freedom was the precursor of independence :
and if the colonies became independent, what strongholds would
France possess in the West Indies to check the growing power
of England; and where would be its outposts to keep the United
States in good behaviour? Even more important were those
dependencies when considered as pastures for the powerful and
the aspiring aroimd the consul's person. Let the colonies be
reduced into servitude ; then would they naturally enter as
constituent parts in an empire imder governors with more than
the power of ordinary princes, who, with Bonaparte at their
head, would form a regular and august political hierarchy, and
so lay the basis of a dominion which might extend widely over
both hemispheres, if not in time comprehend the civilized
world. To the ambitious Corsican the prospect was enchanting.
The herds of Haytian negroes must be sent back into slavery.

This resolution, he knew, could not be carried into effect so
long as Toussaint L'Ouverture lived on the island. His existence
there was the second great impediment. That impediment, too,
the consul detennined to remove. The determination was the
more readily formed because the world had come to regard
Toussaint as a sort of rival to Bonaparte. The phrase became
current which designated the one " the first of the blacks,'* and
the other ''the first of the whites.'* Comparisons were made
between the two which the First Consul always found offensive,
and which were not always to the First Consul's advantage.
Was his bright star to pale before the fiery meteor of a slave ?
Besides, that slave had not been easily subdued ; he had all but
overcome and destroyed the soldiers of Egypt and Italy. When
peace was conduded, it was difficult to say whether the

S2S THB UR or

anailant or the ■iwiiled wis in the wone onnditinn. TUi
manly and eflfective mbtanoe Bonaparte ooald not foi^giTa It
would have been \em intolezable had it bean made bj Bno-
peans; bat to come from negro davea — it was an nnpaidoiiabk
o£fonoe. Yes, Bonaparte hated Tonwint, and naolired to effbet
his destruction. Hie anest waa the fint point to be gained.
With TooaHiint in his hand% eTefything die he judged weoU
be easy.

The First Consol was not deterred bj the oonodention thit
sach a step could not be taken without disnmnlation and per-
fidy. The end covered, if it did not justify, the means^ in hit
eyes. In Leclerc he had a ready and pasrive inatrument. Kor
was the captain-genenJ without his own reasons for the contem-
plated apprehension. The hatred borne by the master had
taken poesesaion of the servant's souL Little satisfaction did he
feel in a peace which a hard fiite had induced him to seek and
conclude. The popularity of the negro chief caused him to be
an object of fear with Leclerc. Li the war, the chief gkny had
been gained by his foe, and now that foe, having become his
rival, eclipsed Leclerc in the estimation of the natives of neaiiy
all classes and all opinions. Ho had, moreover — and he knew he
had — ^injured, deeply injured Toussaint L^Ouverture, and injuiy
invariably begets a hatred in proportion to its own intensity.
Besides, the original plan, which so £&t had been successful,
remained to be completed. Leclerc, in consequence, was well
disposed to execute the consul's will.

Without waiting for express directions in a matter on which
he well knew the mind of Bonajiarte, the captain-general began
to pre])are the way for the final act. For this purpose he spoke
of Toussaint, not &s an independent }K)wer who had of his own
accord laid down arms, and declined the highest post in the
oolony, but as a revolter who had been outlawed and condemned
to death, but pardoned by an act of grace on his own part
Consulting him as to the disposition of the troops, so as to pre-
vent suspicion, he sought occasions which, in extorting complaints
from him, might form the grounds of a disagreement, and so
aflbrd pretexts for his seizure. Two frigates anchored off

TOUSSAIKT L*OUV£KTUKE. 223

Goiiaive& The acddiera no longer paid TotUBaint military
lionoiuv. The plot was dimlj seen by firiends, who advised the
black hero to be on his guard. Some went so &r as to recom-
mend him to take measures for his personal security. He
refJied, *' For one to expose one*s life for one's country when in
peril is a sacred duty; but to arouse one's coimtry in order to
saTe one's life, is inglorious."

In order to give some colour to the contemplated arrest,
Leclerc complained that Toussaint's body-guard had not been
wholly disarmed. Toussaint replied that he had given orders
for its disbandment, and advised . the captain-general to proceed
mildly in bringing that result about. Impatient of contradiction,
Leclerc employed force, and with difficulty succeeded. In this
opposition an excuse was found for filling the district of Ennery
with European troops. The inhabitants complained. Toussaint
Li'Ouverture became the medium for making those complaints
known. "This was exactly what was wanted," says one who
knew Leclerc's designs.

On the 7th of June, General Brunet wrote to Toussaint
L'Ouverture the following letter : —

Head Quarters at the Plantation of Georges,
18 Prairial, An. X.

BRUNET, OENEBAL OF DIVISION, TO THE GENERAL OF DIVISION,

TOUSSAINT l'oUVERTURE.

'^ The moment, citizen-general, has come to make known to
General Leclerc, in an incontestable manner, those who may
deceive him in regard to yourself: they are calumniators, since
your sentiments tend only to bring back order in the district
which you inhabit. It is necessary to render me aid in order to
restore the commimication with the Cape, which was yesterday
interrupted, since three persons have been murdered by a band
of fifty brigands, between Ennery and Coupe-i^Pintade. Send
toward those places faithful men, whom you will pay well ; I
will be accoimtable for the outlay. There are, my dear general

224 THE LIFE OP

arrangcmeuts which we ought to make in oonoert, which t if
impossible to treat of by letter, but which an hoiir^a conferenoe
would terminate. Had I not to-day been overwhelmed with
business, I would myself have brought the answer to your
letter. Occupied as I am, I must beg you to come to my rad-
dence. You will not find there all the pleasures which I would
wish to welcome you with, but you will find the frankness of an
honourable man, who dearea nothing but the happiness of the
colony and your own happiness. If Madame Toussaint, whom
I shall have the greatest pleasure to become acquainted with,
could accompany you, I should be gratified ; if she has occasion
for horses, I will send her mine. Never, general, will yon find a
more sinoci'e Mend than mysel£ With confidence in the captain-
general, and friendship toward all under him, you will enjoy
tranquillity.

" I cordially salute you,

" Bruxet."

Now here is a piece of consummate villany. This man, who
signs himself Bruuet, who calls himself a man of honour, and
who would have nm any one tlirough who should have thrown
on that honour the slightest doubt — this man, who probably
went to church, and heard mass and professed Christianity, or
who, at any rate, did not in private pick pockets or cut throats,
this man delibemtely sits down and em])1oy8 his ingenuity in
^bricating a tissue of lies in order to ensnai'e to his ruin an
innocent jmtriot, tlie liberator of his countiy. Every word in
this diabolical composition is selected with a view to deceive.
By implication, inuendo, and direct averment, the tissue of
Msehoods goes forward to its end. ** You are, you know, alleged
to be less quick than might be wished. False, doubtless. Now
you may pi-ove how false by acting in concert with ma Come
hither, and so convict your calumniators ; let the captain-general
see how earnest you are for the furtherance of public tranquillity."*
This is a dexterous movement. To remind Toussaint that he
was suspected was to prepare him for the offered means of ex-
culpation. An innocent man, from a consciousness of his inno-

TOUSSAINT L*OUy£BTURE. 225

cence, and a guilty man, in order to affect and display such
conscioasnesBy would alike be inclined to accept the expe-
dient. Then for this honourable man, who does not inyent, but
merely employs groimdless suspicions, he himself is quite con-
fident that his victim is calumniated. « No, in coming to me,
you come to a friend who knows the real facts, and so is fuUy
aware of what you have done and are doing to tranquillize the
country. But, notwithstanding your efforts, disturbances exist.
These must be put a stop to. I have said I have confidence in
you : I now show it, for I ask you to take the requisite
measures." Excellent Jesuit ! Yes, the way to beget confidence
is, you well know, to show confidence. But how show confi-
dence so much as by employing a man to put down the very
evils he is accused of causing ? Surely this, if anything would
make him feel that he is trusted, or at any rate show him how
desirable, even for his own bad purposes, if he has bad purposes^
it is that he should act as if he felt that he is trusted.

" Then as to the cost of these efforts, we will settle that when
we meet.** Tes^ it is a small affair of business between two
generals of division — nothing more — some brigands to exter-
minate, some expense to be incurred, — all to be amicably talked
of when the two friends are taking a glass of wine together, and
to be ended by an order for payment on the public purse.
What more simple, what more natural, what more straightfor-
ward ? None but one deeply versed in deceit could have thought
of treachery.

But the tricks are not exhausted. " We must have an inter-
view. For that purpose I intended to come and see yoiL I
had ordered my horse and an escort; but really I cannot leave;
I am nailed to the spot. I must throw myself on your good-
ness ; pray come ; I will do all I can to make you comfortable,
and bring your wife with you on this little excursion — a mere
party of pleasure. Shall I send my own horses to convey her
and her domestics 1 What ! do you hesitate ? still hesitate I
Ah ! take care you fail not to confide in the Captain-general.
Distrust on your part may justify distrust on his part. Insinua-
tions are best repelled by confidingness. And, you know, trust

Q

226 THX UFS C9

in Leclerc Involves friendship towirds me. Ye% jou
come; yon wiU come.**

In this wily epistle there is only one mittiAPi fant it ii a
serious one. Bninet declares that he ia an houNuable mmtu
Over this declaration, you, Tonwsint, surely paused. Hen
the cunning hand dii|>lay8 its cunning. Yet thy goikleM
nature wiU not entertain a distrust In general, the cpisth
has a £i,ir seeming. You will acoept the invitation. SospicMn
of treachery is dishonourable to him who entertains it. And
had not Touraaint, when the clouds were really dark, gone to
the Caixi f And did not a friendly arrangement ensue! The
oath of Leclerc remained in force. And here was an o pp ort un ity
not only to Ixniefit his neighbours, but to purge himself Gram,
any suspicioiLs which weak men^ or designing men, had raised.
As to the nimours of }>eril to himself, the timid always abound
in illusions of their own fabrication. A brave man never fSbars
dau^or, and a wise man is not very careful to shun danger.
Beside^ the civilities of hoi^pitality have their claims. Cleaiiy,
Oil the whole, there >va8 no valid ivasou against going, and
many \*alid reas<jns for going. Tout^saint had intended to go
to Gonalves bt^foro he n*ceived Brunct's letter. He was on his
way thithei' : lie liimed not back whtn the in%'itatioiL was put
into liis hands.

IVoceoding on his jouniey, he met Brunet on the plantation
callod Geui^ges, where the general was waiting for him. For
some time tliey conversed together. Then Brunet begged to
be excused, and left the i\x>m. The next moment there
entered from eighteen to twenty officers, with dra^-n f^ words
and pistols in their hands. Toussaint KOuverturc took them
for awassins, and arose. He di*ew his sabre, resolved to sell
his life dearly. Then the colonel, who was at the head of the
hand, seeing that he waited for them with intrepidity, ad%'anoed
toward him with his sword lowered, and said, '^ General, we
have not come here to attempt your life. We have merely
the order to secure your person.*" At these words, Toussaint
put his sword back into the scabbard, saying, " The justiee of
Heaven will avenge my cause**

ToussAnrr l'ouyrbture. 227

Those prophetic words have had aocomplishment; those pro-
phetic words will have accomplishment : nor ever will they he
fulfilled ontil slavery is blotted out of America, and is known no
more in the world.

From the plantation, where he was arrested, to Gonaives,
troops had been placed from distance to distance along the road«
At midnight, the prisoner was taken on board a French frigate,
called the ' Creole.* The officer who commanded the ship was
touched, even to tears, at the lot of that victim of the basest
treachery. They sailed for the Cape, where Toussaint was trans-
ferred to the Hero, which waited for them off the port. ''Adieu,
Captain,*" said the captive, on leaving the Creole, ''I shall remem-
ber you, till my last sigh.** When he reached the Hero, he
found in his arms, St. Jean L*Ouverture, the very aon, who, on
a brighter day, had been restored to him by Leclerc. Placide
L*Ouverture was arrested next day. Isaac was at Ennery.
Ignorant that his &ther had been seized, he was ti'anquilly
reading about seven o*clock in the morning, when he was startled
by a brisk firing, foUowed by alarming cries. Hastening from
the room, he beheld labourers, women, and children, running
hither and thither in terror, and from three to four hundred
French soldiers firing on them in pursuit. A servant urged
him to fiy. He feared that evil had befiEkllen his father, but
remained Forthwith he was arrested. The officer told him
that his father had been embarked, and that he had orders from
General Brunet to apprehend him and all the family; adding
that he should not have fired on the people, had they not
attempted to bar his passage. The money and the papers belonging
to Toussaint L*Ouverture were taken possession of The house
was rifled ; insolence was added to robbery. Madame Toussaint
and her niece were carried off " Only a heart of stone," says
Isaac L*Ouverture,* who has described the whole scene, '' could
fail to be softened by the tears and the lamentations of the men,
the women, and the children who were present, and who de-
plored her (Madame Toussaint*s) lot, when she was for ever

• ** M^moiret d*Iaaae, fils de TmuMint L'OttTcHixre^*' Ao^ ¥* SOQ.

<i2

228 THE UFB OP

•

quitting her country, a part of her fikinilj, and her abode, whidi
wa.s the abode of benefioenoe and hospitality. Thoee men, thoafr
women, and thoee children, in the exoeas of their grie^ ex prc a wsd
their fears and their regrets with deep sensibility. " Madame,"*
cried they, " are yon leaving us ? shall we never see eadi other
again r then addressing the commanding officer, they added,
** Ah ! at least, Sir, don*t kill her, dont kill her children;** — ^they
all believed that Tonssaint L*Onvertuie himself was dead.
That woman, who was worthy (^ those marks of attachment and
love, quitted her home without taking anything with her.

Madame Toussaint and her son Isaac, and her niece, were con*
ducted to the Cape, and put on board the Hero ; the vessel forth*
with set sail for France. It is related that, in fixing, for the last
time, his straining eyes on the mountains made memorable by
his exploits, ToiWHaint KOuverture exclaimed, " They have only
felled the trunk of the tree (of the freedom of the blacks);
branches will sprout, for the roots are numerous and deep."

And in that contideuce, thou large-hearted man, dost thou
sail over that waste of waters ; saddeneil, but not overwhelmed.
Thou earnest the cause of thy colour in thy soul, and, with a
mind replete with Christian principles and affections, thou
neither doubtest uor de3i)ondest. Twenty-five days hast thou
to live on the sea, uncertain of thy own fiitc ; but with such
knowledge of thy oj)pressors as must have occasioned dark fore-
castings. To thy own view, however, thy j>ast is bright. Not
for thyself, but for others hast thou toiled and bled : and those
othera are the outcast, the ignorant, the injured, and the lost.
True disciple of thy Gralilcan Master, bear up in the recollection
of His load and His persecutions — ^yet heawr than thine. And
now, in the hour of darkness, find and acknowledge thy glory, in
that which heathen France accounts thy shame. Not on man*s
judgment dost thou rely. Not by a local tribunal wilt thou be
judged. The wide earth will take cognizance of what thou didst
attempt and achieve, and pronounce thee a benefactor, not of
thy colour only, but of thy kind. Regret not the president*s
chair, lefl vacant in thy beloved mother country, nor let men*s
in^rratitude and perfidy sour thy feelings. From high motives

TOUSSAIHT 'OXTVHRTURE. 22D

thou wroughtest for a high purpose ; and that purpose, though
not in thine own way, will be attained. Be greater by patience,
in the day of thy weakness, than thou wast in the day of thy
power by thy valour ; and thy name will pass down to posterity,
encircled with undying £une. Listen to that solemn voice in thy
own heart, which tells thee that ECayti will be free.

On the voyage, Toussaint was denied all intercourse with his
^Eimily ; he was confined constantly to his cabin, and the door
was guarded by soldiers with fixed bayonets. Uncertain as to
his fiite, yet apprehensive of a very dark future, he determined
to make a solemn appeal to Bonaparte, and prepared the following
epiBtle : —

'* On board tlio Hero, 1 Thermidor, an X. (I2ih July, 1802).

*' general toussaint l^ouvebture, to general bonaparte,
first consul of the french republic.

*' Citizen First Consul —

" I will not conceal my faults from you. I have com-
mitted some. What man is exempt? I am quite ready to
avow them. After the word of honour of the Captain-general
who represents the French Government, after a proclamation
addressed to the colony, in which he promised to throw the veil
of oblivion over the events which have taken place in Saint
Domingo, I, as you did on the 18th Brumaire, withdrew into the
bosom of my family. Scarcely had a month passed away, when
evil-disposed persons, by means of intrigues, effected my ruin with
the General-in-chief^ by filling his mind with distrust against me.
I received a letter from him which ordered me to act in con-
jimction with Qeneral Brunet. I obeyed. Accompanied by two
persons I went to Gonaives, where I was arrested. They sent
me on board the frigate Creole, I know not for what reason,
without any other clothes than those I had on. The next day
my house was exposed to pillage; my wife and my children were
arrested; they had nothing, not even the means to cover them-
selves.

" Citizen First Consul — a mother fifty years of age, may de-
fa:Te the indulgence and the kindness of a generous and liberal

230 THB LIFE OF

nation; she has no account to render; I alone ought to be
responsible for my conduct to the Grovemment I have served. I
have too high an idea of the greatness and the justice of the
First Magistrate of the French people, to doubt a moment of
its impartiality. I indulge the feeling that the balance in ita
hands, will not incline to one side more than to another. I claim
its generosity. *' Salutations and respect,

" TOUSSAINT L'OUVEBTXTRB."

When he wrote this high-spirited letter, in which the writer
characteristically shows his concern for others more than for
himself, — and the tone of which contrasts favourably with that
which his oppressor, when fallen, and on the point of quitting
Europe for St. Helena, addressed in true French melodramatic
style to the English people, — ^Toussaint obviously had no idea of
the extent of Hhe perfidy to which he was about to fall a victim.
He had been seized and carried o£^ but only, as he thought, that he
might be confronted with his maligners, and have a &ir trial in
France. All he requested, therefore, was an impartial hearing,
assured that the even hand of Justice would repair the injuries
he had suffered. Little did he then foresee the dreadful end to
which he had been destined by the Consul's blind ambition.

While on board the Hero, Toussaint wrote abio to Admiral
Ddcr^ Minister of Marine and of the Colonies : —

" CmZEN MiKISTEB,

" I was, with all my fiunily, arrested by the order of
the Captain-general, who nevertheless had given me his word of
honour, and who had promised me the protection of the French
Government. I venture to claim both its justice and its good-
will. If I have committed faults, I only ought to suffer the
punishment of them.

" I b^ ywi. Citizen Minister, to employ your interest with
the First Consul, on behalf of my fjeunily and myself.

*^ Salutation and respect,
(Signed) "Toussaint L'Ouvertuke."

This simple and dignified letter is reported to have drawn
tears from the eyea of the minister. That minister felt the

TOUSSAIKT l'oUVERTURE. 251

contrast between the dark designs of the GoTemment and the
unsuspicious tone of the communication. '^ Justice !'* As well
ask mercy from tigers ; as well seek grapes on a bramble-bush.

As soon as the vessel arrived at Brest, the First Consul, glad
to have so formidable an enemy in his hands, gave free coarse
to his resentment. Without paying any respect to Toussaint's
character, fame, services, or former position, he, consulting onlj
his fears and selfish interests, tore him from his family, and
began the persecution which was to end in a most painful death.
Toussaint was immediately hurried on shore. On the 13th of
August, the maritime provost of Brest, at five in the momin|^
sent an officer of police and four men to transfer the negro
chief from the vessel. On the deck only was he permitted to
have an interview with his wife and children, whom he was to
meet no more in this life. Only his servant was he allowed to
take with him. When in the boat, he bade a last' adieu to
Madame Toussaint, to Isaac, to Saint-Jean, who then remained
on board the Hero, and extended his hand to Placide, whom
a cruel policy at the same moment was tearing from the arms of
his mother, and was conveying on board the corvette La Naiade
to Belle-Isle en Mer. In the evening; Placide learnt of the
removal of his father from the Hero. Previously, he had sent
the following letter to him, which was found under Tousaaint's
pillow : — *

" Brett Boads, 24 Thflnnidar.

'<My dear Father akd Mother,

'* I am on board the brig La Natade. As yet, I am
ignorant of my lot. Perhaps I shall never see you again. In
that, I do not accuse my destiny. No matter where I am, I
entreat you to take courage, and sometimes to think of me: I
I will send you news of myself, if I am not dead ; give me news
of yourselves, if you have an opportunity. I am very well
situated ; I am with persons who are very good to me, and who
promise to continue so. Isaac and Saint-Jean, do not forget
your brother! I shall always love you. Many kind thoughts to
you all; embrace my cousins for me. I embrace you, as I loveyoo.

" Your son,
(Signed) "Placide L'Ouverture."

232 THE LIFE OF

Whenhethos rudely brokeapthis iniableMidintorwiing fianilj,
the First Consul did not foresee that one day he would be tarn
away from his wife and son. Curious coincidence in the deatiaj
of the oppressed and that of the oppresMur ! Bonaparte w«8
repaid in his own coin, nor in this instance merely— -others have
presented themselves in our narrative. But what a ** super-
fluity of naughtiness** have we here ! why are all the memben
of the UOuverture family involved in their fiU;her*s ruin I And
if stem policy required their deportation from Hayti, why are
wife and children separated from their natural head, and why
should the aged captive be denied the companionship of her who
was the choice of his youth, became the comfort of hia adult
age, and might still have supported his overladen heart to bear
his troubles 1 Was she severed from him expressly to exaspe-
rate his feelings, and augment his woes, making his load heavier,
the more surely and the more speedily to put an end to his
existence 1 Oh the depth of wickedness with which what is
called policy is chargeable ! Header, be not hoodwinked by
general terms. Policy would be nothing without politicians,
and when statesmen Ioac their manhood in state-craft, and
perpetrate, in their public capacity, wherein they have power,
deeds which they dare not attempt in their individual capacity,
wherein they are weak, then do they contract a criminality
which should make them abhorred by all good men, and which
is a virtual forfeiture of the tenure by which they hold their
high position. Office does not change the character of realities.
What is the painful reality here ? It is nothing less than
thef>-. Toussaint UOuverture was stolen. The First Consul
was a man-stealer. He was more, he was a burglar : he broke
into Toussaint's house, and having ransacked and plundered it,
he stole the family, after having perfidiously carried off its head.
And having stolen father, mother, and children, he not only
separated them one from the other, but murdered, at leasts the
£Either. This is plain speaking. At least, it is intended to be
so. Crime does not appear crime in men^s eyes, unless it is
branded as crime. Therefore do I declare and proclaim, that
Bonaparte and his accomplices were, and for ever remain, guilty

TOUssAcrr l'ottvsrtube. 233

of man-stealing, robbery, and murder, in their treacherons,
violent, and most wicked conduct towards this virtuous house-
hold.

Madame Toussaint and her children were conveyed to
Bayonno, where they were placed under the supervision of
General Ducos. L*Ouverture, with his servant. Mars Plaisir,
was put on shore at Landemeau, where they were taken in
charge by two companies of cavalry. Compelled to quit imme-
diately, Toussaint in one carriage and Mars in another, set
out for Paris under a strong guard. At Guingamp, some
officers of the eighty-second, who had served under Toussaint
L*Ouverture*s orders, prevailed on the oommander to stop the
cavalcade, that they might enjoy the opportunity of saluting
their old general The permission was accorded. Tins was the
only solace that the captive enjoyed on the French soiL He
reached Paris on the 17th of August, and was immediately
imprisoned in the Temple. Thence, without any interview with
Bonaparte or his ministers, and without the slightest explana-
tion he was hurried away into the department of Jura, and con-
signed to the dungeons of the castle of Joux. Singular caprice
of what is called history, at that very hour the same prison
held in chains Rigaud, the rival and the foe of Toussaint.
Separated in the busy hours of public life, Toussaint and
Kigaud were united by misfortune. And yet the imion was
little more than nominal, for they were too powerful, even in a
dungeon, to be allowed to confer together. Suffering deserves
compassion even when it cannot command respect. Therefore,
I leave Bigaud to his endurance, without commenting on his
guilt in joining Leclerc*s marauding enterprise. Bigaud and
Toussaint^ the first a man of colour, the second a negro, but
for your skin, or rather but for European prejudice against
your skin, you would not have come to your present unhappy
condition. Tou are dark in hue, tlierefore are you persecuted.
Distinguished representatives of your respective races, there are
still men who deal in the like of you as they deal in pigs, in
poultry, in flocks, and in herds, and there are others who
justify this traffic in human flesh on the ground that your

334 THE LIFE or

epidennis contains a ookmring matter of a somewlMii d et pc r
shade than their own. Yes, to this isiiia the qaet^kiask oonfls

at last. How long, O reason, shall so patent and flinuqr *
pretext prevail ) A brown complexion, conmonlj called white,
ensures and justifies pefsonal immnnity and personal freedom ;
a rather deeper brown, and a complexion of a somewhat sable
tinge, ensures and justifies the loos of personal liberty, and
therein the loss of all the rights, privileges, and poodbilities of
manhood. Nay more, the farmer maj haj and seQ, ctpfonrnf
maim, mutilate, brand, soonrge^ imprison, and emn kill the
latter ; and that, too, not onlj with perfect impunity, but with
all the high bearing of nnquesti(Hiable right. The rebitioii of
master and slave, when reduced to its last link, is the rekition
of simply more or less in the hues of the skin, of wkieh the
varieties are so very numerous, and which extend fit>m the
fiiir Circassian to the raven-black negro. Where, in this mi-
nutely graduated scale, is the point at which liberty ends, and
slavery begins ? And who has fixed that pcmit ? And on what
authority ? In truth, slavery in its origin and in its essence
is simply man-stealing, is robbery of the very worst kind ; it is
the strong preying on the weak ; it is the law of the bludgeon,
the bayonet, tlie fetter, the prison, the ship, the gallows. BcMia-
parte, in carrying ofi* Tonssaint L'Ouverture, did no more than
his African prototypes in power did before him, and, alas !
continue to do to the present hour. One and all, he as well
as they, and they not more tlian he, are robbers and plunderers.
What then are those who purchase the stolen goods? And
what tbey who grow rich and fatten on the j^ystem f Let men,
then, renounce the Christian name, or change from the top to
the bottom a " domestic institution," wliich, having piracy and
theft for its basis, and violence for its support, stands in flagrant
contradiction to the clearest precepts, the simplest doctrines,
and the fimdamental principles of the Grospel.

As soon as the carrying off of L'Ouverture was known in
St. Domingo, Grcneral Belair, in the mountains of Saint Marc ;
Colonel Sans-Souci, at Yali^ j the chief of the battalion of
Noel, at Dondon, took up arms as by one accord, and set in

TOUSaADTT L*0(JVXBTURE. 235

movement the population of those districts. The latter made
his way as far as Enneiy, overcoming all opposition in his route,
and augmenting his Sps at every step. A multitude of men
and women who followed him, at the sight of the French gar«
rison, made the hills of Ennery resound with their cries of woe^
indignation, and vengeance. Sans-Souci had no sooner drawn
his sword than he was arrested, as well as General Baradat, by
Ohristophe, sent to the Cape, and embarked for France. Eelair
was at the head of considerable forces, when Dessalines, who
was despatched from the Cape against him, came into the
mountains of Saint Marc, and requested a colloquy ; Belair,
hoping that the interview might bring a similarity of senti-
ments to light, acceded to the request. He thus fell into the
snare laid against him by Dessalines. He was arrested ; and^
with his wife, conveyed to the Cape^ where they were both
shot. Thus perished General Charles Belair, the victim of hia
devotion to Toussaint, and of his confidence in Dessalines. A
model of friendship, with bravery, and militaiy talents, he
united the qualities which make a good and amiable man.
Toussaint) well pleased with his conduct when he was his aide*
de-camp, once said to him, '^ Charles, you have acted to-day
like Labienus.** ^' General,'* he replied, '' I hope I shall be
more fiuthful to you than Labienus at last proved to Csesar.'*
The hope became a reality. Other less distinguished, but
worthy and faithful friends of Toussaint L*Ouverture, impelled
to espouse his cause, sujBTered death in ways which soldiers
account disgracef uL

Society exacts from bad men an account of their deeds,
and bad men, unable to give a satisfactory account, feel it
necessary to put forth at any cost colourable pretexts. Leclerc
could not endure the voice of public opinion, even as it existed
in Saint Domingo. He had treacherously seized, and hastily sent
from the island, one who had been both its hero and its pacifi-
cator. The evil work given him to perform by his brother-in-
law, he had fully executed. Yet did he fear men's tongues.
As a palliation of the misdeed, he set abroad a statement that
Toussaint was plotting against the peace of the island. What

23G THS UFB OF

was the evidence! A fiJ>ricatioiL Two letteri^ aaid to be
written by Tousaaint, and intercepted, were pat into cixcnkticiL
The fraud has come down to theee days ; it it ao dnms j as to
bear its own condemnation on its front. If the aothenticitj cf
these letters were ascertained, theyproTe nothing to Tonasaint's
disadvantage. Even the most tortuoos interpretation could not
extract from them a valid suspidon. Bat their broken and
scattered words only show to what extremities their fiduricators
were driven, in the fear of detection* And so fiyr as their aenas
can be made out, neither the ideas nor the style oonreqwnda
with the warm, energetic, rapid, and figurative manner of
Toussaint L*Ouverture. The fidnricator was some poor mean
creature, who was utteriy unable to give to his wretched com-
position the most superficial mark of that genius which i^ypeais
in all that we possess of Toussaint^s writing or dictation. How*
ever, the frtigments in some way served their purpose, in turning
attention from Leclerc^s perfidy to the allegation of evil designs
on the part of his victim. Even if the evidence were less worth-
less than it is, the presumption would be against the Captain-
general, who shunned a public investigation, and condemned
unheard a man to whom he had solemnly pledged his honour.

The blacks, guided by a simple sense of right aud justice,
gave uo credeuce to the alleged conspiracy, and saw the blood
of innocent men and women shed with alarm and indignation.
At the same time, they lost all trust in Leclerc, for had they
not seen their Liberator seized and sent av^y, contrary to the
obligations of an oath, the claims of a solemn compact, and the
sacred rights of hospitality ?

TOUSSAUTT l'ouvebture. 237

CHAPTER III.

Lodero trios to rulo by creating jealousy and diTision — Ill-treati the men of
colour — Diaanns the blacks — ^An insurrection ensues, and gains head, until it
wrests from the riolent hands of the general nearly all his possessions—*
Leclorc dies — Bonaparte resolves to send a new army to Saint Domingo.

As the news of the deportation of Tonssaint UOuverture spread
abroad, secret and deep discontent began to prevail, which
threatened disturbance, if not' disaster. In vain Leclcrc tried to
prevent these consequences of his own misdeeds, by a slow con-
cealed tyranny. He created division among the black chiefs
by insinuatiDg into their violent natures rivalry, jealoasy, and
hatred ; he set the ambition of one in opposition to the modera-
tion of another; now he brought into contrast this man*s fidelity
with that man*s want of fidelity; mingling adroitly together
praises and enticements, &vours and disgrace, encouraging and
rewarding mutual accasations. Special pains did he take to
revive the old animosities between the blacks and the men of
colour; animosities which in reality were only a consequence of
the difference in the servitude to which they were in common
subject. As a result of this Machiavellian policy, many officers of
black and of mixed blood were persecuted, imprisoned, or banished
to a distance. Of this number was Higaud, next to Toussaint
the most renowned of alL He was arrested in the port of Saint
Marc, whither he had been sent as if to take a command. In his
indignation, he threw his sword into the sea, to prevent its being
sullied by traitors. He was sent to France, and curiously enough,
was, as we have seen, cast into the prison which held Toussaint
L'Ouverture. Lamartinidre, who had displayed the virtues of a
champion of liberty behind the walls of Cr^te-a-Pierrot, was mas-
sacred in an ambuscade. Thus was manifested the hatred of the
colonists against men whom they could not endure to see in the en-
joyment of fireedom. That hatred was fostered by the Consul, and
by his representative Leclerc. Of special consequence did the
Captain-general consider the disarming of the blacks; but the

S38 THB LIFE OF

step was one of extreme difScnltv. Mob, whote iiaadoDs an
excited, aiul whose future is uncertain, do not easily surrender
their arms. Cajolery and mutual distrust were put into action;
the result was, that thirty thousand muskets were collected
and laid up in the common armoury. But in the midst of tlie
operation, discontent was displayed, menaces were uttered, sedi-
tion was fostered, risings took place; the GoTemment was com-
|)elled to employ vigour as well as adroitness. Troops were set
in movement, blacks who were in subjection were employed
against others who were ripe for revolt; some sullenly gave up
their arms, others hid them, waiting their opportunity. Fero-
cious bands were formed, who practised all kinds of atrochaea
The disarming succeeded best in the south ; in the west it was
very jiartial ; the coloured population, dirtmstful and disquieted,
es|Kx;ially since the de}K>rtation of Rigand, betook them-^lves to
the mountains ; then moRt unjust and injudicious severities were
exercised ; suspicions sufticeil fur the infliction of death : the
scaifolds were loaded with victims of both sexes, and of all ages.
Several of the wives of the officers of the seventh colonial br invade
were publicly executed. After capturing JBelair. Dcesaliues
slaughtered three hundred blacks and men of colour in the vale
of the Artibouite. to avenge the death of some European soldiers^
massacreil within the countrv under his command. Meanwhile,
an impression luul been obtaining pre\'aleuoe that the disarming
and other offensive measures were i>arts of a system intended to
issue in the restoration of slaver}'. Some imprudent ooLmists,
whom experience of evil ha<l not taught an3rthing but revenge,
uttere<l in one of their assemblies the old maxim — ** No sLiverv,
no colony.** The alarm caused thereby was augmented bv news
that slavery had been restoreil in other Fi-ench dependencies,
jind that even the slave-trade was resimied. Under the growing
fears and distrust, some applied to purchase their freedom. The
request was refused by their former owners. " Wo ai-e then,"
said mothers of fiEunilies, with tears in their eyes, " we are then
about to fell back into slavery."* To prevent the calamity, the
blacks made such preparation as they conkL Circumstances
were in their favour; a malady which had gone far to destroy

TOUSSAINT L*OUVKKTUKE. 239

the army and the fleet ; the rainy season, which was at liand,
not less banefril to the whites than &Tourable to the blacks; the
asylum of the mountains, where their foes would pursue them
almost in vain. Full of fear yet full of courage, they spoke to
each other words of exhortation : " Do they expect to find slaYea
in us ? why did they not leave us at large in our forests ? Was
A&ica, our native land, weary of us? Have our rivers been dried
up? Did not our flocks, our fields, did not hunting and fishing
suffice for our wants ? We learnt no other wants but at the
price of our liberty ; they have deceived us in our simplicity by
poisoned gifts. Were not our feet accustomed, unshod, to walk
over burning sands; and did not our imcovered heads brave the
fires of the torrid zone ? Our skin, given by nature to enable
us to live near the sun, performed the office of garments jG^ri-
caied by luxury. Was not the limpid wave of our fountaLas
preferable to the liquors which cause brutal fury ? To enjoy the
sweet manifestations of friendship, the guileless smile of our
children, the caresses of a mother who, during three years, nur-
tured us with her milk ; to trouble neither our own lot nor the
lot of others; to pass our life without fear and without desires,
as a river of a tranquil and uniform flow — such were the precious
advantages of which we have been robbed by our enemies.'*
While thus they inflamed each other by fancy pictures of their
ancestral mode of life, they drew a too true and a very painfiil
contrast in adverting to their actual condition. Here a man
held forth his arm, mutilated by a barbarous monster; there
another pointed to his leg, eaten into by the links of an iron
chain; others drew attention to the scars left by the driver's
thong; women uncovered their breasts, which showed traces
of the branding>iron, — the breasts which had suckled their
masters' children. And then, with what pride did they turn to
the blesfflngs of freedom ! ** Heaven, in its pity, has given us a
new country in this land of exile, of grie^ and of shame; shall
it be torn from us ?"*

Soon the standard of revolt was raised. At first the banner
was unfrurled by obscure men who occasioned little solicitude.
But civil wars are pregnant with great leaders. In the moun-

S40 THB LIFE or

iains of Saint Domingo there were always tribes of antamed
Africans, who had thrown off the yoke of sUvery. At the liead
of one of these tribes was Lamoor de Bailee^ an adroit^ ateniy
savage man, half-naked, with epaulettes tied by a cord, lor his
only token of authority. At home in the mountains, he pannnd
from one to the other with something of the ease of one of their
own birds. Toussaint himself had in vain punned him in those
retreats, whose proper inhabitants are wild beasts; that chief
acknowledged no other authority than that which nature gtve^
in no way thinking or caring about monarchy or republicanianL
HiH tender of obedience to the Government had been a matter
of mere form. His dress, his manners, his character, his mode
of fighting, at the Cape, where he just showed himself, were
objects of curiosity and amusement with the French army. A
greater insult could not be given than to ask this savage warrior
for his arms. Were they not the protectors of his life ? He
avenged the insult by carrying fire and sword over the Highlands
in the vicinity of Port-au-Prince. In the plain of L6ogane he
reduced to ashes more than a hundred plantations; he carried
off the laboun^rs, and inflicted barbarous cruelties on the whites.

The revolt extended. In the north, as well as in the south
and the west, it broke out and spread de\'astatioii. As reports
of these insurrections got abroad at the Cai^e and Port-au-
Prince, consternation incix^ased. News was eagerly sought after,
though almost always the source of fresh anxiety. Some reported
that they had seen on fire the moimtains which overhang Port-
au-Prince ; others that Lamour de Kance had reduced to ashes
the plantations of Loogane. This day brought intelligence that
Sans-Souci was in amis at Valli^re ; the next that Noel had
seized Dondon and Sylla Plaisance. '^You have heard that
Macaya raises the country around Port-de-Paix I*' " No : but
a band of insurgents is spreading terror in the isUnd of Tortue.^
More lamentable still were the narratives wliich some had to
give how their brothers, their wives, their children, had been
massacred with an incredible refinement of crueltv.

The general alarm was exaggerated by the colonists, who,
forgetfid of the share they had had in caiudng it, and that but

TOUSSAINT l'oUVERTURE. 241

for them there would have been no conquest of the island, no
violation of oaths, no intention of restoring slavery, accused (as
is the custom of such men) their destiny, the Government,
Heaven, every object but themselves, the real sources of all
these evils. " Heaven, then," they said, " has not ceased to per-
secute us; have we not suffered enough during ten years of
exile and misery 1 Shall we always be driven into flight, or be
massacred by our ferocious slaves ? Was there ever a similar
succession of reverses and misfortunes ? Are we not the most
unfortunate of men ? Our slaves are before our eyes kindling
incendiary torches, and twice have we seen our plantations and
our towns burned to the groimd. Why does not the Government
act with decision] Why leave us to certain and speedy de-
43truction r Then they invoked the aid of the black chiefs who
remained attached to their party, and who replied to them only
by a fierce silence or by dissimulation. But always allowing
themselves to be borne away by vengeance, they surrounded the
Captain-general with their pernicious counsels, and he, instead
of employing clemency and mildness, made use only of arms and
punishments. In the cities scaffolds wei-e raised, which were
bathed in the blood of the blacks. They even executed women
and children, whose only crime was that they had brothers,
fathejrs, or husbands, among the revolters ; they were accused
•of corresponding with them — ^the penalty of such intercourse
was death. Port-au-Prince, in consternation at the ravages of
Lamour de Kance, became the special theatre of executions.
All suffered death with intrepidity, calmness, and resignation.
The more numerous the executions, the more extensive were the

«

•desertions. Listead of terrifying they exasperated ; they fed
the insurrection, though they intended to suppress it.

While the scaffolds were crowded with victims, Leclerc applied
to Dessalines for assistance. He went to the Cape, and renewed
his protestations of fidelity and devotedness. Cruel as £sdse, the
monster declared that he thirsted for the blood of the revolters.
In a moment when his indignation had gained the mastery, and
the agitation of his members manifested more rage than even
iiis words, the (reneral-in-chief said to him in transportj '* The

B

S42 THB LinB or

troops which I expect from Fnaoe will give me tlie power of
striking a terrible blow.** ** Thexe shall be," shoofted TrriMsliiMii,
in fury, *^ a general earthquake f A Government thai ■^''nnktf*
and employs such wretches condemns itself and forftits its
authority. Tnstead of carrying on the war honomrablj, Desm-
lines pretended to entertain fiselings in &T0ur of the revolt.
By this means it was that he entrapped General Belair.

While Dessalines was subduing mounts Cahoe^ Ledere ocdeved
Rochambeau to punish Lamoor de Ranee ; but the troops who
went in pursuit of him, saw only vast fields of fire which covered
his flight. When circumstances suggested, the barbariana shel-
tereil theniHelves in the heart of predjutous mountains^ which
were to them fortifications stronger than any which the art of
man ever constructed. All that could be done was to oppose
8ome limit to the mvnges of the foe in the west and the south,
the frontiers of which two provinces he had laid waste.

At the same time the captain of the expedition^ seconded by
Christoj)he and Maurcpas, employed all his efforts both to put
down the si'«lition iu the Isle of Tortue, and to arrest the pro-
grt^ss of the revolt in the north. But Sans-Souci was an
African not less agile than Lamour de Ranee. He also covered
his flight with deceits and flames ; ho did not, however, fear to try
actual combat. Twice he defeated the troops sent against him.

Meanwhile the black generals still attache<l to the French
prescrve<l only a «iisj)ected fidelity, and barely concealed their
disquietude. ChriHtophe, afraid of being arrested like Toussaiut,
did not acce])t Leclorc*s invitation to a banquet, until he had
directed hL^ troops to be iu readiness for a sudden blow. An
officer who sat next him at table, took pleasure iu filling his
gla.s8. Christ ophe, au.spccting an evil design, turned to him in
rage, and said, *• Dost thou know, thou little white tiling, that
if T had dnnik the wine which thou pouredst out for me, I
should have de.sire<l to drink thy blood and that of thy general T
These words caused ji^reat ajj^t^^io'^ among the guests. Leclerc
reproached Christoplie with what he called Toussaint^s treason,
and commanded the oflicers of his guard to run to arms. '' Vain
is it to call your soldiers,*" the chief replied ; " mine are under

TOUSSADTT l'oUYEBTURE. 2iZ

arms, and with a single word I can make you a prisoner ; buty
as to my betraying you, learn to know me. I remain subject
to you as T was to Toussaint ; had he said to me, ' Hurl this
island into the sea,* 1 would have done my best. This is the
way I obey or command. The £uth of oaths and treaties —
security of person — sacred rights of hospitality — ^has not all been
violated by your cruM .policy? Prison, banishment, death, are
the rewards of those whose blood flows for our liberty. No
longer are you around me, friends, soldiers, heroes of our moun-
tains ! And thou, Toussaint, the pride of our race, the tentr
of our enemies — ^thou whose genius led us from slavery to
liberty — thou whose hand adorned peace with lovely virtues —
thou whose glory fills the world, they have put thee in irons like
the vilest criminal ! But what is there in common between
you, Captain-general, and Toussaint ? Your name came amongnfc
us only as his who turned parricidal arms against the repre-
sentatives of your country. It is this crime, doubtless, that
the Consul wished to reward in giving you the government of
Saint Domingo.** These were bold words to be spoken at the
€rovemor*s table. The guests looked astounded. Leclerc, alarmed
in his inmost soul, affected composure.

In truth, the condition of the colony was lamentable. The
fever continued its wasting career. The Government every day
lost power, while its enemies increased. Suspicion and alana
opened on every hand. This state of things finds a good descrip-
tion in the words of an eyewitness. Thus does Greneral Pamphile
de Locroix speak : " I was invited to the heights of the Cape by
General Boudet, whom the General-in-chief was sending to
France to acquaint the Government with the true condition of
the island. At the house of General Boudet I found Generals
Clervaux and Christophe. I asked them the cause of the progress
of the iusiurection. The latter replied, ' You are a European,
and you are young ; you have fought merely in the armies of
the mother country ; you, consequently, cannot have any preju-
dices regarding slavery. I will therefore speak to you witk
frankness. The revolt grows because distrust is at its heig^
If you had our skin, you would not, perhaps, be so

B 2

244 TUK LIFE OP

myself, who am intmstiiig my only wn, Ferdinand, to Genenl
Boudet that he may be educated in France. I make no aocoimt
of the brigands who have given the signal for the inaorrectioiL
The danger lies not there ; the danger is in the general opinion
of the blacks ; those of Saint Domingo are frightened because
they know the decree of the 30th Flor^ which maintains
slavery and the slave-trade in the colonies restored to France by
the treaty of Amiens. They are alarmed at seeing the Unt
Consul re-establish the old system in those colonies. They are
afraid lest the indiscreet talk that is heard here on all iddes
should find its way to France, and suggest to the Government
the idea of depriving the bl%cks of Saint Domingo of their
liberty.* In order to pique his self-love, I asked him how it
wsH that he, who had so much influence in the south, should not
have found trooi)s sufficiently devoted to put Sans-Souci into
his hands ? HLs reply struck me : ' If Sans-Souci was a soldier,
I might get hold of him ; but he is a mean and cruel brigand,
who lias no scniple to kill whomsoever he 8U8i)ects ; he knows
when to fly, and he knows how to cover his flight with the
deserts which he leaves beliind him. He goes about the affair
better than we did at the time of your disembarcation. If, then,
instead of fighting, our system of resistance had consisted in
flight, and in well alarming the blackH, you would never have
been able to overtake us. So said old Toussaint : no one be-
lieved him. We possessed arms ; tljc pride of making use of
them was our miiL The«e new insun^euts follow the svstem of
Toussaint ; if they jwraist in it, we shall have difficulty to re-
duce them.'

" Goueral ChrLstophc urged me not to return that evening to
Fort Dauj»hin ; saying, that the revolters liaving attacked his
posts in the plain, were probably informed of my journey. I
thanked him ; but urging that the danger would be greater to-
morrow, I said that I should return as soon as I liad seen the
Gencral-in-chief General Leclerc acquainted me with his
melancholy situation, congratulating himself in freeing none but
bandits among the new chie& of the insurrection, and added,
that in the feeble state of the forces of the mother country, he was

TOUSSAINT L*OUySRTURE. 245

glad to find the generals of colour still faithful to France. Oa
my way to Saint Michel, I stopped at General Christophers, who
hearing discharges of fire-arms in the mountains, repeated his
request that I woidd not that evening press on to Fort Dauphin*
I persisted in my intention. He then ordered six of his guides
to accompany me. * Bear in mind,* he said to them repeatedly,
' that you are escorting a general whom I esteem and love.*

" We set out. Of a sudden the guides, who led the way
with torches, stopped before a detachment of thirty blacks,
who had concealed themselves in a ditch. Forthwith one heard
the words, ' Halt ! stop ! halt T Shots succeeded. The com-
manding officer meanwhile recognised in Don Diego Polanco,
who was with me, an old friend. We were saved. But I had
seen reason to believe that the chiefs of the colonial troops and
the coloured generals had communications with the insurgents.

" Too frequently did the Europeans speak of the reinforcements
captured from France for the blacks not to perceive the need in
which we stood of them.'*

The news of the events which had taken place at Guadaloupe,
the maintenance of slavery at Martinique, indiscreet talk, and
insinuations from foreigners, fomented distrust in the minds of
the black chie&. The words which the First Consul had ad-
dressed to the Abb6 Gr6goire, at an offioeal presentation at the
Institute, were repeated in the colony : " From what is taking
place in Saint Domingo, I wish the friends of the blacks through-
out Europe had their heads covered with mourning crape.*'
The words struck men's imaginations. The minds of the blacks
and of the men of colour were at the height of disquietude when
the frigate, Cocarde, entered the i-oads, having on board blacks
sent from Guadaloupe ; many of them in the night jumped into
the sea, swam to shore, and by their reports made the alarm
still greater. At the same time, some men of colour, also from
Guadaloupe, brought to Saint Domingo information that the
slave-trade in that island comprehended their caste. Here
were dark presages of what might be expected in Saint Domingo^
The fidelity of the chiefs of the Colonial troops was from that
hour irrevocably shaken.

246 THK uns OF

General Clervaox, who had reoentlj condemned Ghaiki
Belair to death, first threw off the mask hj deaerting. Hie
evenmg hefore, being at Madame Leclerc*fl^ he had aaid in a fit
of passion, " I was free fonnerij ; only to new drcomatancea do
I owe it that I have raised up my reyiled colour ; but if I fim-
ded that here the restoration of slavery would ever be thought
of^ that instant I would become a brigaud.**

Judge, if you can, of the position of Captain-general Lederc ;
he knew the danger, he could not prevent it. The crews were
not sufficient for the service of the shipsL The garrison of the
Gape did not comprise more than two hundred Europeans ; there
were in it fifteen hundred colonial sddiersL On the night of
the 13th-Uth of September (1802), Potion, that coolly audadooa
chief, threw all into confusion at the Gape, spiked the guns, and
disarmed the European cannoniers.'**

Two days after, Clor>'aux and P6tion made an attack on the
Oi4)e, but failed to capture it. So well were they received by
Bngodier Anhouil that, tbiukiug they were opposed by the fresh
troops expected from France, they drew off their forces which, if
pressed forward, must have been overwhelming, so sui>erior were
tliey in number to the defenders of the colonial metropolisL At
the moment of the attack, Lederc, as a measure of precaution,
sent on board vessels in the liarbour, whose crews had been greatly
reduced by the fever, detachments of the colonial soldiers who had
reanained at the Cape. The sailors, panic-struck, cried out, ^ Let us
kill those who may kill us.*" Tliey fell on the black soldiers,
and ruthlessly drowned of them more than a thousand.

Then Christophe, already prepared for defection, and lately
standing, to use his phrase, cu a benevoUnl spectator, in other
words, watching the right moment, joined Clervaux. A few
days after Dessalines threw himself into op^KMition.

The insurrection became general The entire }>opulation was
the enemy of France. The mother, the daughter, the child,
as well as the &ther, and the brother, all were soldiers. The
woods were their camps, dens their dwellings; the mountains

* Mcmoircf, vcL ii. 224^ $«q.

TOUSSAIKT LOUTXBTUItE.

' mnpai'ts; they found their tboil in tbe npontuieouji

Bj^KCMlucts of the ««rth; they trantaauted into antm the instni-

uiitB of agriculture. Stouee hurled from t}ie rockii served

lAi^ii iiutead of artilleFy. They threw their whole life into

I 4HKUilt^ combat^ and anibnscMles. A new future waa before

them. '■ Death or liberty!" again became their rallying cry.

Evevj-whore the inaurgeots repulsed, and liiid waste the enemiea

«f their freedom. They captured Port-de-Faix, Guuuves, Fort

^Cauplhin. lu ilie evarcuatlon of the last pbioe, General de
jAcroix was obliged in bis extremity to destroy powder tmd
^wviuoQs to the value of two miUlous of fnmes. Escaping by
see, to the Ca[>e, he lost in tbe short voya^ eixty-six sick [>er-
SODB, who were throwu into the ae&. The first words which
Leclerc addreiiaed to him ou huidiug them were, '' General, what
p iave you donu I You bring a coloured populatiou funr times
lore numerous than your Europeans ; you do not know then
Iwt they are tigers, serpents, that you bear in your boHora,"
Licclerc felt that tbe colony wait escaping out of bis hands. Of
I hia conquests there remained only, in the North, tbe Cape,
1 M6h! Saint-Nicholas, and in the West, Port-aii-Priiiw, and
iut Mure But for tbe uolonista, who then appeared with

1 their Lands, all wae over.

At tlie prospect tlie Captain-general waa greatly alarmed.

ei lookod everywhere for succour. In his perylenty be iieut

n Duemy's camp to beg the aid of Cbristophe, ofl'enng him

bonotuii and riches. Christophe contented himself with reply-

ing, that he was rich and honoured enough in posaessii^ liberty

Hclt^ and in seeming tbe liberty of his colour.

Shortly, Chriatopbe put Imn^lf at the head of tlii3 insurgents,

ind proceeded to attack tbe Caiie. Then wa^ Leclerc ou tbe

d side elmt up within the walls of the capitaL Scsroely ilid

t posBoss vessels sufficient for flight.

Ehich was tbe condithni of llayti, when, in the first of Novom-

■, 1802, the C'aptain.genei-al, worn down by fatigue ajid pains,

orwbelmed with vexation, di«ap[)ointmeDt. and despair,

Hthed bis last, ae thi^ final result of a sickiicAs which bad long

eftteneid to inove iatal. A little before hie death he expianed

248 THE LIFB OF

his regret for tLe errors committed bj Kima^^f in the govam-
meut. Regret now utterly -vmin; errors which had piored
disastrous to all the great interests of the colony. Nor lets dis-
a'strous to France was this iniquitous expedition. Of fonr-ftiid-
thirty thousand warrioiSi twenty-four thousand had perished,
and eight thousand were in the hospitals; scarcely more than
two thousand were lit for serrice.

Amid this thick darkness, and surrounded by these vengefol
penalties, the Captain-general passed to a tribunal before which
diversities of skin are unknown. Lederc wanted neither sense
nor manners. He possessed an easy eloquence which threw
light on the discussions of his council-chamber. But he was
little anquainted with the human heart ; and was unable to in-
teqiret the (peculiar character of Africans. In war he was
active, uncertain, and presumptuous. Blindly obedient to the
wishes of the First Consul, he made peace consist of a complica-
tion of troubles, divisions, treachery, and violence. By these
deplorable crimes, he was reduced to the state of impotence
which has been described. As he had none of the qualities of a
great commander, a fimeral oration pronounced in his honour
before a few soldiers, who had escaped from the fever and the
sword, was a mere harmonious assemblage of idle words.

Pauline, Leclerc's wife, affected the marks of extraordinary
mourning, but she betrayed appearances by choosing for her
companion one of the most handsome men of the army, and
returned to her ordinary habits of luxury, pleasure, and volujv-
tuousuess. After having had her husband's body embalmed, she
crossed the sea to France. When her vessel appeared at Mar-
seilles, the inhabitants at the sight of the Consul's sister, a
widow, so young, in teai^s, manifested their sorrow by decorating
the port and the streets with cra|)e and funereal garlands. The
tokens of sadness had been commanded, but they had some
reality, for many of them had seen her grow up to adolescence
within their walls.

In mournful procession she entered Paris. Brothers, sisters,
and wives, then shed true tears at the remembrance of sons,
brothers, and husbauds, whom they had lost in the expedition.

TOuniOHT l'ouvertube. 249

FlKiiline hen^ let some tears iiskll when Hhe Raw her brother,
who embraced her with joy and tenderness. Then she spoke to
him eloquently of Saint Domingo as a land of fire, blood,
and desolation. The Consul heard her in silence, and said,
^ Here is all that remains of that fine army — ^the body of a
brother-in-law, of a general, my right arm, a handful of dust ;
all has perished, all wiU perish. Fatal conquest ! cursed land !
perfidious colonists ! a wretched slave in revolt ! These are
the causes of so many evils.** He concealed from himself for a
moment that he had sent away so many brave warriors that they
might not throw their ba3ronets across the road to the imperial
throne, whither he was urged by his impetuous desires.

Soon his mind arose from that dejection, and in the immensity
of the future which his genius embraced, he regarded the calami-
ties of Saint Domingo only as an unlucky but useful incident.
Had he not thrown into prison Toussaint, the chief and the soul
of the revolt ? The fever had nearly consumed its fuel ; Ro-
chambeau, whose character he knew, would terrify the island
into obedience. Those wandering bands of insurgents, without a
head, without union, divided among themselves, would desert the
mountains to enjoy the pleasures of the cities. Besides, did he
not possess the two heads of Saint Domingo, the South and the
Spanish territory? Had he no more soldiers, no more ships?
Let twenty thousand men fly over the ocean. Thus Bonaparte
prepared for the loss of a second army. Blind ambition, reckless
of its means^ reckless of the misery it occasions I Meanwhile
the First Consul deposited Leclcrc*s corpse amid much pomp in
the Panth^n, and erected statues to his memory. Tlie greiitvr
the calamities of Hayti, the more he endeavoured to cflace the
recollection of them by show and pomp, and by the aid of those
arts which ought to transmit to posterity the memory only of
truly great men.

250 THE UTK or

CHAPTER IV.

BfOchAmbeAu ammiM the oommand — His chameier — Yotap^naamifBm, tj i mny ,
•ad crueltj — BoceiTM Urg« ranfoTCemmU — Inftatotot a lyslem of terror —
The inrarrectkm beoomas gennal and meiMtibla The Frandi are driven
out of the island.

After the death of Lederc, theonmmMid of HAjti paaaed into
the hands of Rochambean. That General was defonned in body,
but of a robust constitution ; his manner was hard and seTere^
though he had a propensify to voluptuousness. In his youth he
had, under the eyes of an illustrious father, served the cause of
independence iu North America. He lacked neither ability nor
ex])erience in war. He pos8es8ed tender, domestic, and friendly
afijctions. His good qualities would have accompanied him to
the tomb, if he had not been called to the government of Saint
Dominga Regarding virtue as both lovely and requisite in pri-
vate life, he judged it useless and even dangerous in public
affiurs, as if the laws of eternal justice depended on position
and circumstances. Misled by this gross delusion, he feared not
to give himself up to acts of violation, ^K>liation, and crudty of
all kinds. Blaming the tardy and hesitating administration of
his predecessor, he resolved t<> employ all the resources of terror
in order to establish his authority.

Masters who had been impoverished by the freedom of the
slaves, saw with joy Rochambeau succeed a chief who, according
to circumstances, es])ou8ed or 1>etrayed their personal interests.
But the blacks were disquieted when they knew that he had
taken the helm. Independently of the massacre he had
committed in the bay of ManceiiiUe, they remembered that
when merely a general, he liad not scrupled to degrade them with
the punishment of the lash ; but what cause<l them greater
alarm were some words addressed in a tone of pleasantly to
their wives at a festivity which he had given at Port-au-Prince.
" You,** he said, " are invited to dance at your interment."* A

TOU8SAI2VT L^OUYKBTURE. 251

hall hong with hlack, and lighted up hy funeral torches, seemed
to them the image of their approaching sanguinary end.

Despotism and sensuality have often been companions. In
Kochambeau the one sharpened the appetite for the other, as
though greediness of bodily pleasure welcomed the zest arising
from the si^t of bodily pain. No small part of his time
Bochambeau passed at table, or on sofas, with Creole females,
worshippers of pleasure, as well as most cruel towards their
slaves. They spoke to him constantly of chains, prisons, the
soouige and other punishments, in the midst of games, laughter,
caresses, and senseless gratifications with which they intoxicated
his souL As his policy inclined him to violence, he willingly
allowed himself to be overcome by the fascinations of these
women, as well as by irritated proprietors, who continually
pointed him to their houses in flames, and their slaves in revolt
in the mountains. Thus did he listen only to counsels of hatred
enforced by contempt and vice.

The fever had changed the character of the army. The heart
of the soldier was worn by regret, fatigued by misfortune, and
filled with trouble ; no longer had the noise and glitter of arms,
encampments, war^ and victory, any attractions for him. A
bitter and savage melancholy had succeeded to the hilarity and
joy of courage and hope. Even officers of rank were seen to
disown authority and to favour a revolt, which they judged In-
timate. But Bochambeau, who required a blind submiBsion,
dismissed those the firmness of whose soul he doubted ; thus
giving firee course to tyranny in order to oppose an effectual
remedy to the evils he wished to put down.

Up to this time punishment and violence had been covered
with a veiL Toussaint had not been arrested except as a result
of a pretended conspiracy ; a military tribunal had condemned
Charles Belair. Those who had suffered death, had been
taken with arms in their hands, or had kept up communi-
cations with the insurgents. In truth many women and
children were in the number of the victims, but they were
at least implicated by some accusation, and it was through fear
rather than cruelty that disarmed soldiers had been drowned at

S5S THB UR OP

the Ci^. Bat from this time there was no longer any gtndyof
appearanoes ; law, judges, and trihanab were ceremonies too
circuitous and too tardy.

Meanwhile Roehambean, who reoeiTed in different detach-
ments fresh troops, to the number of 20,000 men, sent them
nnder different circomstanees against the revolt^ips whom he
drove away from the country around Port-au-Prince, Mole Saint-
Nicholas, and the heights which overhung the Gape. As he
was most eager to signaliace his command by some victory, he
retook Fort Dauphin and Port-de-Piax without any memorable
action. This was the term of his success. The blacks without
rqp:et, abandoned fortresses which to them seemed contemptible
in comparison with their locks. But in the degree in which
they were repulsed at one point, they extended towards another,
so that they only acquired accessions of strength. But what
was more for their encouragement and advantage, was that they
were furnished with arms by English vessels. Bocbambeau
thought that there was no surer means to repress their ardour
than to affright them by some extraordinary punishment.

The sea off the Cape was chosen to be the theatre of an exe-
cution, unparalleled in what is called civilized life. For fear that
Maurepas, who had gained distinction under Toussaint L'Ouver-
ture, after having embraced the side of France, should join the
insurgents, Leclerc had written to him to come by sea, with his
fiunily and his troop, to take the command of the Cape, which
he destined for him as a reward for his services. No sooner had
he arrived than he and his soldiers were seized and disarmed.
Bochambeau ordered preparations to be made for a barbarous
punishment, in order to put the negro general to death, with his
troop, consisting of 400 blacks. It was also put in deliberation
whether death should be inflicted on his children, in order to
prevent them from rising up to avenge their fother.

After having been bound to the mast of a vessel, Maurepas
was frightfully insulted. His wife, his children, and his soldiers
were brought to be drowned under his eyes. The executioners
were astounded when they beheld a father fix his dyiug eyes by
turns on his children, hii wife^ and his companions in arms,

ToussAiNT l'ouvebture. 253

undergoing a violent death ; while they, on their part, turned
theii* eyes away from a father, a husband, a general, whose coun-
tenance was disfigured by the tortures he was enduring. After
being made to contemplate each other's sufferings, they were all
tossed into the ocean. They died without complaining, in a
manner worthy the champions of liberty. With a reversal of
the order of nature, the Either died last ; he also suffered most.

Thus died Maurepas, whose character was a compound of
frankness and severity. Thrice had he repulsed the French at
the gorge of Trois-Kivi^res ; he had at once the glory and the
misfortune to go over to the French with victorious arms. The
elevation of his aovl equalled his valour. He preserved a tender
feeling for the master whose slave he had been ; he caused
funeral honours to be paid to that master, and when his grave
had been negligently pre|>ared, he threw off his upper garment
in order to perform the pious office properly. Among men of his
own blood he was ti powerful chie£ A spirit of order and
justice prevailed in his life. His riches, which were considerable,
were given up to pillage. It would almost seem as if so much
excellence were subjected to so much ignominy, expressly to show
that while black men are capable of any virtue, white men are
capable of any crime. Certainly, my narrative is replete with
instances which, beyond a question, prove that moral as well as
mental excellence is independent of the varieties of colour.

This brutal punishment, preceded by vile perfidy, filled the
camps of the insurgents with horror. That horror wiis aug^
mented when Bocliambeau, at the Cape, put to death five hundred
prisoners. On the place of execution, and under the eyes
of the victims, they dug a large hole for their grave, so that
the poor wretches may be said to have been present at their own
funeral.

Dessalines burning to avenge Maurepas and his fellow-soldiers^
rushed like a lion on the Cape, and, in his impetuous and terrible
march, he surroimded and made prisoners a body of Frenchmen,
who, at the post called Belair, defended the approach to the city.
Then, with branches of trees, that ferocious Afirican raised, under
the eyes of Kochambeau, five hundred gibbets, on which he

254 THE LIFE OP

hanged the same iiiimher of prisomen. Of thew Tictinis of
vengeance, the greater number had been the Gonund'a oompaDioiis
in arms ; they had assisted that bad great man to acquire his
))Teteiision8 to a throne, and for their reward they had been sent
out of his way to suffer an ignominioos and painful death at the
hands of a sa^iige.

Rochambeau, who occupied himself les and less with war,
continued to plunge into the delights of the table^ and of vokip-
tuousness with courtezans and wives of colonista who never
ceased to stimulate his tyranny, and exact from him the restora-
tion of their slaves. Then, while the insurrection, in the name
of liU'rty, made head in the mountains, on the plains snsfxicion
converted ever3rthing into crime. If you went abroad, yon
joined the revolters ; if you stayed at home, you were waiting for
them ; if you manifested joy, you took pleasure in the public
caLiinities ; if you api>eare<l sad, you grieved over the reversos
of the revi>lt : if yon wi-ote letters, you corresponded with the
enemy ; if you talke<l, you 8j)rf ad M'dition ; if you were observed
to listen, you were a npy ; if you failed to salute a white, you
insulted a master : bnivciy whih dangerous, weakness was com-
plicity, iiiuocoiice was stratagem. Inteq>rctations were put on
a gesture, a smile, a sigh ; silence wss accused of se<lition, and
even thoughts had no asylum in their last refiige, tho human
heart.

Sufli is the character of the tjTaiiny which under the slightest
prct('xt and often by mere hazard, tlux^w its toils round a multi-
tude of victims without distinction of age or sex, to effect their
ruin. The number of sufleren* wa.s greatly augmented, l>ecause
colonists by a spiM?ies of rivalry denounced the ]>eaceful slaves of
other colonists, so that it became almost the sole business of
Hochanibeau to oi*der or even to 4levis^' punishments; the sea and
the laud were coven^d with them. The unfortunate blacks were
bound together and then thrown into the sea to perish: if they
came up to tlie surface and made their wny to the shore, they
were in si)ort pursued and mas!«aered. The executions were
\'aricd: now tlie blacks were beheaded, now they were dragged
down into tho depths by the weight of a shot tied to their feet;
and now they wei-c stitied by sulphur on sliip-boaixL

ToussAiNT l'o uveb t uk e. 255

Among the number of these victims were female priests, who
worshipped African fetish idols. That yeneration for the gods
of their fathers was punished with death; so little does unbelief
guarantee toleration. A French general, touched with compas-
sion at the approaching death of one of these superstitious but
well-meaning women, implored that her life might be spared.
Kochambeau, taking into his hands the pigmy idols of her wor-
ship, said, " How can I save the life of one who worships these f
Yet during the fever these very women had bestowed every atten-
tion on sick French soldiers. Unhappy women, their charity
had no other recompense than the punishment which is reserved
for the vilest crimes. Base ingratitude of the commander!
Here, again, on which side is the moral superiority? Oh, civili-
zation, what crimes have been committed in thy name ! Te
weak ones, whose " feeble knees" a Christian authority com-
mands Christian men to strengthen (Heb. xii. 12), how have
indignities and woes been heaped on your heads, simply because
ye were weak, not only by sceptics and 8Co£fers, but even by
professed believers in a divine religion !

The numerous executions which began at Cape City soon
extended to other places; Port-au-Prince had its salt waters
made bloody, and scaffolds were erected and loaded within and
without its walls. The hand of tyranny spread terror and death
over the shores of the north and the west. As the insurrection
became more daring, it was thought that the punishments had
not been either numerous enough, violent enough, or various
enough. The colonists counselled and encouraged vengeance as
if it was their wealth.

All human passions were let loose. Never was such a spectacle
of ferocity beheld. The calm, concentrated, impassible revolt
which followed the death of Leclcrc, had committed only particular
acts of revenge ; but at the sight of punishments so numerous
and so horrible, insurrection roared and raged on all sides. Men,
scarcely anything else than barbarians, made the mountains re-
sound with this death song : —

" Open, JO sepulcfares of our anoefton ; je duatj bonei^ dniddir ;
y eDgeanco ! Tcngeance ! reply the tombs and all nature.*'

250 THE LIFE OF

With shouts of joy they ran to battle, and impatient to avenge
their colour, they seized the enemies of their liberty, and cait
them to the earth to i^erisL The South was once more on fire.

At the same time, at the Cape, at Fort Dauphin, at Port-de-
Paix, at Saiiit Marc, at Port-au-Prinoe, and all along the shores^
everywhere were whips, crosses, gibbets, funeral piles; and
soldiers, colonists, sailors engaged in slaying, strangling, drowning
human beings, whose only crime was their refusal to go back into
slavery. Some had their bodies lacerated by the scourge; then
they were fastened to posts in the vicinity of a marsh, that tb^
might be devoured, half alive, by blood-sucking insects. Others
were literally burnt ali^-e, as if they had been martyrs for religion.
Death thus appeared before the n^ro in its two most terrible
aspects, exti-eme slowness and extreme rapidity. Others in
greater number iierishcd in the sea or on the scaffold. In the
country, trees loadeil witli flowers and breathing perfumes,
served as gallo^^'s, a^ if to put in broad contrast the goodness of
Goil and the vileness uf man. Countries createil for ]>eace, hap-
piness, and joy, wei-e thus desc»lated by human jiassions scaxvely
less baneful to those who fosteitxl and indulged them than to
those against whom they ragc<L

On the couutenance of those who wore leil to death shoue an
anticipation of the libeily which they felt was alx)ut to grow on
a land watered with the blood of their caste. They had the same
firmness, the same resignation, the Siune enthusiasm as distin-
guished the martyr of the Christian i*cligion. On the gibbets^
in the flames, in the midst of tortures scaively was a sigh to be
heard; even the child hardly shed tears. The words *'our
coimtry," '*fi-eedom," breathed quietly from their dying Ups. They
often encouraged each other to bear death manfully. A black
chief named Chevalier, hesitated when he saw the instruments of
ixis punishment. '' Wliat!*" said his wife, "thou knowest not
how sweet it is to die fur liberty !" and without allowing herself
to be touclied by the executioner, she took the rope and ended
her days. A mother said to her daughters who were going to
execution, ** Be gLid, you will not be mothers of slaves.'*

The strength of soul which the blacks sliowed in their tortures

TOUSSADTT l'ouyebture. 257

was so surprising, that the whites ascribed the cause to some pecu-
liarity of organization. It was pretended that the fibres of the
blacks contracted with so much force that the sufferers became in-
sensible to pain. Thus, by yain suppositions, an effort was made to
rob the victims of the glory of their death. If the question was
to make them slaves, then they were not men; if the cruellest
punishments were to be inflicted on them, then they did not
suffer. If they were not men, why make them do the work of
men? If they did not suffer, why impose the punishments?
Beasts may do the work which was laid on beings who were not
men; and sufferings not felt, were inefficacious both as punish-
ments and examples. But when did tyranny lack a pretext, or
cruelty lack a palliation? In this case, the pretext and the
palliation did but throw the enormity of the injustice into
relie£

Ordinary expedients were too tame, or too slow, or not suffi-
ciently efficacious. History was ransacked for others. Children^
women, and old men were confined in sacks, and thrown into the
sea : it was the punishment of parricides among the Romans. It
was ascertained that three centuries before, in that same country,.
S^janiards had employed dogs to run down the innocent savages*
Frenchmen of the nineteenth century rejoiced that they had at
their command a resource so effectual, and I must add, so diabo-
lical. Kochambeau, however, sent a vessel to the isle of Cuba
to purchase dogs whose nature, under man's training, made them
fit for the work of hunting human beings. When this ship
appeared at the fort of the Cape, wives of the colonists went to
receive them on the shore, and made the air resound with cries
of joy ; they put garlands on their necks, and strewed their path
with flowers. Some d^raded themselves so &r as to cover those
instruments of their vengeance with kisses. To what extrava-
gances does slavery lead ! An experiment must be made. In
the courtyard of a convent a sort of amphitheatre was erected,
which was fiUed with a multitude panting for negro blood. The
victim was bound to a post. The dogs, sharpened by extreme
hunger, were no sooner let loose, than they tore the poor wretch
to pieces. The raging animals disputed with each other the pal-

8

258 THE LIFE OP

pitating mcmborSy and the gitmnd was dyed with homaii blood
and canine foam. A report ^icead among the blacfa^ that at
the last groan of that pitiable creature^ the heaTOU opened, and
received his sonl.

This kind of death, with circnmBtances more or lees frightfid,
became common, until croehy, dinpensing with all forass^ disdain-
fully cast human beings to the dogs, who were kept in paeka
near the city ; and when the spjtelate of the animals, satisfied
with human flesh and gore, refused any longer to destroy, the
sword finished the bloody work : showing that man*s passions
Burpaas in atrocity those of wild beasts. Indeed, language fiuled
of terms to describe the crimes which the lust of unjust power
perpetrated. New expressions were invented. The drowning
of two or three hundred human beings was called ** a good
haul ;" cU»ath on ii gallows was *' a step upwards ;" to be torn in
pieces by dogs was " to enter the arena.** Some executioners
gained celebrity ; the name of Tombarel long continued to make
men shudder. The sea and the rivers were stained with blood.
The numl>erB of victims was so coDsiderable that the inhabitants
refused to eat fish, k»st they should feed on blood of their own
colour.

Many blacks, of whom some ha<l witnessed these atrocities,
and others, who, in the confusion, had, by swimming or flight,
esca|>ed from the hands of the executioners, went to join the
ranks of the insurgents in different places. Often, under the
shade of a tree, or under the point of a rock, these fugitives
might be seen recounting to their companions the punishment
they hail witnessed, or suflered. How great soever the cruelty,
it was exaggerated in their hyperbolical phraseology. The
crowd listened with intense curiosity, silence, and horror ; oficn
the narrators were interrupted by questions respecting the fate
of a child, or a sister, who had died on the gibbet, qr had been
tossed into the sea. At these frightful accounts, the auditors
shed tears, but they were tears of vengeance. Some shouted,
^ Shall we go down into our tombs without having avenged
them f No 1 their bones would repulse ours.** Others, by ges-
tures and cries, not satisfied with having carried fire and sword

T0USSAI19T L*OUV£RTUHE. 259

over the low lands, stirred each other up to deeds of carnage and
devastation. Vengeance of a certain barbaric grandeur burst
forth* In listening to one of these narratives, Paul UOuverture,
the brother of Toussaint, learned, that, without any reason, his
wife, who lived at the Cape, in the peace of her own home, had
been drowned. He fell into a madness of revenge which grief
nourished, and which nothing appeased He captured, near Fort
Dauphin, a shipwrecked vessel, on board of which were thirty
French passengers. He took them, and having led them to one
of the principal entrances to Cape City, he pitilessly immolated
them all to the manes of his innocent wife, taking pains to put
on a post an inscription, which stated that the death of a beloved
partner had extorted from his grief a vengeance worthy of a
proud, loving, and deeply afiOicted souL Truly, indeed, is revenge
blind as well as ruthless. Who can describe, who can dare to
contemplate the evils of slavery? Sixteen of the bravest generals
of Toussaint L'Ouverture, chained by the neck to the rocks of an
uninhabited island, breathed their last miserable sigh after wasting
away during seventeen days. These abominable cruelties are not
wholly without relief Captains of ships, instead of casting the
innocent victims put into their hands for the purpose into the
sea^ supported them at their own expense, and landed them on
some of the neighbouring islands, or on some remote shore of
Saint Domingo. None showed more humanity than Mazard,
who employed as much zeal in saving victims as others did in
destroying them. " I have,'' he said, " deceived yoiur tyrants ; my
heart is lacerated to see the land and the sea covered with victims ;
go into the mountains, rejoin yom* people, that posterity may
learn that savages dragged to servitude have founded a new
£tate j but pity men's passions, and leave your revenge to time,
to remorse, to heaven."

All the sea-captains did not act with the same elevation of
souL They did, indeed, save the blacks from death, but their
conduct was dictated by a base avarice ; they took them and
sold them as slaves in some neighbouring island. On one of
these occasions, the governor of Porto-Bico made this fine

« 2

260 TH« UFB OF

reply : " If they are slayes, I will not parchMe them ; if thej
are free men, 70a have not the right to sell them.**

Nor was the army without examples of virtiia There wero
generals who, indignant at so many cmeltieB, uttered venuxH
atrances, or disobeyed inhuman commanda A Hit, who oom-
manded at Port-au-Prinoe, refused ten thousand shot intended
to be fastened to the feet of victims to freedom. This act of
disobedience, which was reaUy a virtue, Bochambeau pnniahed
by banishment. Other officers were punished for similar ofienoea
Truly did the forcible eloquence of the Africans characterise the
war as " a War of Cannibals.''

Suddenly the south, which had been tranquil, awoke at the
noise of the punishments which sent from the north and the
west corpses to float on its shores. That province was peopled
chiefly by men of colour, who possessed great wealth, and who
showed themselves less than in other parts, enemies of the whites,
with whom, notAvithstaudiiig the force of prejudice, they were
united by marriage. When they saw that they themselves wen?
not spared any more than the blacks, they ran to anna The
revolt begnu in the district of Petit-Troux, where, under the
pretextof a conspiracy, of which nothing has ever become known,
they had drownetl Boudet, who had delivered up the fort Bixoton
at the attack of Port-au-Prince. That punishment revolted public
opinion the more because it involved ingratitude. The revolt be-
came general as soon as it hail been resolved to put to death in the
city of Cayes inhabitants of colour, who were in the police
service, and who were charged with betraying signs of discon-
tent. But how could punishment be inflicted on so many in
pilence ? Recourse was had to the sea. The men were seized,
disarmed, put into a ship, murdered, and thrown by night into
the waves. But woman Iv love could not be blinded. Women,
who had heard the voice of the carnage, demanded with tears in
their eyes, that the massacre of their brothers and their husbands
should not go unpunished. Then there appeared on the stage a
new man, named Ferrou. Highly esteemed in peace, he was
terrible in war. He was not a barbarian, his vengeance had
some dignity. After having raised the country, he ordered all

TOUSSADTT L*OUVERTURE. ^1

the colonists to be arrested, and to be conducted safe and sound
to the village Coteaux, situate not £ar from the sea where his
people liad been destroyed. Not expecting clemency, the cap-
tives disdained supplication, and prepared for death. Ferrou
addressed to them these words full of pride and bitterness :
" Cruel whites, you hesitate not to sacrifice to your hate those
who in this land are your defenders. Of what use is it that we
are allied to you by the sweet and sacred bonds of nature, for
our wives are your mothers and daughters 1 Not fearing the
crime of parricide, you imbrue your hands in our blood. From
this spot behold that sea in which, during a frightful night,
under the pale light of the stars, you drowned a band of our
people. What was their crime ? To love you and to serve you.
The winds and the waves bear back to us their livid bodies.
They are brothers, husbands, companions, faithful friends in
servitude, in war, in freedom. A just resentment commands us
to sacrifice you ; but go across that blood-stained sea, and join
your own colour ; behold in us enemies but not executioners."
Ferrou then sent them in a vessel to Cayes, and forthwith made his
arrangements for marching against the city.

Informed of this revolt, provoked by imprudent attacks,
Laplume precipitately returned from the frontiers of the south,
where he was engaged in checking the ravages of the terrible
Lamour de Eance. Scarcely had he got back when he discovered
the smoke of Ferrou's camp, in the vicinity of Port-au-Prince.
He fell on him, and compelled him to retreat into the rugged
mountains called La Hotte, whose decomposing rocks, break-
ing and bursting imder men's feet, throw them into their
abysses. But Ferrou knew the safe ways. Those he chose, and
from them he rushed down to make an irruption into the plains
jiear the town, Petit Goave. The body of troops employed in.
the defence of that city was in part composed of people of colour,
xkud partly of Frenchmen — ^the former joined the devastator, the
latter took to flight.

In order the more effectually to keep his eye on the insurrec-
tion which now covered three provinces, Kochambeau had fixed
his residence at Port-au-Prince, still drawing after him a great

262 THI UFB OF

number of women, with all the eqnipage of elfcminrta Ivxnij.
Afl soon as he had learned the duafltrooa newv^ he aent N^terrood
by sea to recaptnre the city of Petit Goave Am he did not
doubt of success, he gave his lieutenant a pack of hovnda partty
to pursue the insurgents with, and partlj todeTOor the prisoocni
Ndtervood hastened on his errand, and made an atta^ But
the enemy, setting the city on fire^ entrenched themsdTea in a
fort, whence they dealt death on their aaaaiknts. N^tervood
receiyed a mortal wound in the midst of his scddiers^ who were
&rt perishing, being placed between a burning town and a powerfbl
stronghold. Flight by sea was the only resource ; and the dog^
in the confusion dispersing abroad, added to the dangers and
disgrace of the defeat Thus N6tenrood, eager far peril and
combat, lost his life in the flower of his youth, in the dSshonomv
able cause of shiTcry.

Bands of insurgents, inflamed by victory, occupied the long
chains of mountains which run through the southern proTince.
They formed communications one with another, and at their
convenience and their pleasure rushed down into the plains in
torrents which carried away whatever was before them. Deasa-
lines put himself at the head of that great movement. Two
powerful chiefs, G^firard and CaDg6, passed from the north to
the south. They joined Ferrou, and in unison hastened across
the mountains to ravage the fertile lands of Cavaillou, of Saint
Louis, and of Cayes. Then they carried devastation over those
of J6r^mie.

These events threw consternation into the soul of Rocham-
beau. The insurrection threatened to pluck out of his hands
the southern provinces. He had at first sent six hundred men
to Laplume for the defence of Cayes ; but that weak supply
proving insufficient, he immediately directed toward J6r6mie
vessels which were bringing from France a reinforcement of two
thousand men. One moiety of these men reached J^r^mie,
and without delay prepared to set out for their destination. But
from the peaks of his rocks Ferrou saw them, watched them, and
prepared to cut them to pieces. Scarcely were the French ten
miles from Jer^mie, when they fell into an ambuscade. Afier

ToussAi:!rr l'outkbture. 263

a sanguinary conflict they were routed. A firig^tfiil slaugbter
ensued The few that escaped, hurried hack to Jdr6mie> where
they spread the utmoet alarm.

The other moiety who landed at Tiboron, were alao taken in
an ambuscade, and cut to pieces, near Goteaox. The few who
escaped took refuge in Cayes, into which six himdred other
soldiers had thrown themselves, who were to have formed a
junction with the two defeated divisions.

Wherever the insurrection reigned scaffoUs were erected.
The cities of Cayes and J4r€mie were afflicted with numerous
executions, which drew more closely the bonds between the
blacks and the coloured population, and more and more secured
success to the cause of freedom.

Laplume, seeing that all was lost, embarked for France, where
he died, without leaving means for the interment oi his remains.

Kochambeau, on the brink of despair, made new eSarts to put
a stop to the insurrection. He took special pains to withstand
the ravages of Dessalines, whom in a proclamation he threatened
to flog to death, as the meanest of slaves. Men only laughed
at the folly. Nevertheless, he succeeded in protecting from the
continual incursions of that brute, the plain Oul-de-Sac, and
Mirebalais, which furnished provisions to Port-aa-Frince. At
the same time he guaranteed the environs of the Gape from the
fr^uent attacks of Christophe.

Meanwhile, Rochambeau experienced increasing difficulties in
the low state of his exchequer. He sought remedies in stock-job
bing, and in exactions of all kinds. He drew on the United States
bills to a very lai^ amount, which his government refused to
honour. He levied large contiibotions on cities that were half
ruined. He imprisoned opulent "peaoDay who obtained their
liberation only by paying large sums of money; some had even
to give up their property altogether. He attempted to justify
thcfle exactions by pleading the neoesaitifis of the public service.
But he alienated the hearts of those who through intereat
remained attached to his party, to such a degree, that after
naving lost a second army, destroyed thousands of poor victinu^
and wasted much money, he fell into the same state d distreM^

264 THE UFE or

misery, and abandanment^ as that in wliicli Ledero was m shoii
time before his death; with this diflerenoe^ that under the latter
the south had not been poUated or devastated by insensate
paaaions and internecine war.

Rochambeau's efforts to stay the insorrectiQn were ntteriy
fbtile. Like a vast conflagration, it extended from the sooth to
the north. If it went ont at one point, it biased up in another.
Soon tlie war changed its seat. Masters on land, the Afcicans
commenced hostilities on the seaa^ which they carried on the
more advantageously because they were protected by the
EuglisL In light boats, with the aid of the tide and of oaia^
they went up and down the rivers, passed from the mountains
into the ocean, and from the ooean into the mountains, spreading
terror wherever they appeared. Thegr attacked ships, massacred
the passengers, and loaded themselves with plunder, which they
carried back into their rocky flEistnesses. Woe to the French who
sailed toward tho^e deadly shores. Two vessels, from Ha\Te
and from Nantes, fell into their hands; all on board were
slaughtered. As on land so on water, the insurgents could not
be reached ; they hid their boats in forests ; dispersed, re-assem-
l>led, defying alike the soldiers and the ships of war; and,
almost with impunity, pursued at will their destructive care^.

At the sight of au insurrection, which was master both on land
and on the sea, Kochambeau wns neized with an alarm that he
in vain endeavoured to conceal The Consul, who rewarded
success only, was to be feared by a man who was overwhelmed
in fiiilure. Of what use so many Wctims, so many tortures, so
many gallows, so many drownings, so many raging hounds t
All this serves only to illustrate the strength of the insurrec-
tion, and the hopelessness of his cause. The moment that the
Geueral-in-chief was no longer in a state to make head against
the rebellion, it began to insult and brave him, even in the cities
which were his last places of refuge. His temper became more
and more disquiet and fierce. The shades of his victims ap-
peared to him in his dreams. Now he cried out that he would
make Saint Domingo a vast cemetery, where at least slavery
should bear sway. Now he declared he would re-establish

TOU88AI19T L^OUYERTXTBE. 2(j5

liberty, which his cruelties had made only more precious to the
inhabitants. Then, but too late, he grew angry at the artifices
of the women who had him in their toils, and at the colonists
who had misled him by their« selfish counsels. Yet did he think
it necessary for the security of his troops to continue the system
of terror.

A situation so deplorable coidd no longer be kept concealed
from Bonaimrte. Rochambeau sent deputies to Paris, who
reported that the revolt, somewhat calm after the death of
Lecierc, having become active again, had spread fix>m the north to
the south ; that Kochambeau, in order to stop its progress, had
employed the force of arms and the utmost terror ; that these
remedies had proved powerless ; that the insurrection, animated
by a fanatical spirit of liberty, had broken down every embank-
ment ; that at the head of the insurrection appeared in the
west Dessalines, Christophe in the north, and in the south
Ferrou ; that after having laid waste the interior, the insurgents
ravaged the coasts like pirates; that the colonists were in a
state of extreme afiUction, at seeing so great an armament over-
whelmed with reverses ; and that the only means of safety was
another expedition.

Another expedition was impossible. Already had a bad feeling
arisen between France and England. Soon the latter power
declared war against the former. This rupture gave the finishing
blow to the French cause in Hayti. On land, Rochambeau's
troops were invested by the insurgents. At sea the English were
supreme. Nevertheless, the French general maintained himself in
his post with an intrepidity which would have done honour to a
good cause. The sufferings of the besieged became extreme ;
rarely have woes equal to theirs been experienced. Eochambeau
has related how pitiable was the existence of himself and com-
rades during this period, when placed between death and life ;
they appeased their hunger as well as they coidd by eating their
horsesy mules, asses, and even their dogs : yes, the very hounds
they had obtained, in order to run down their foes.

Things remained in this condition until the middle of No-
yember (1803); then the besiegers forced some of the exterior

266

worka, and p repared for > new attack. Hie inflaobilitj of ti»
French comouuider wis at length obliged to give vajr. Wdl
did he know that an aawolt, if made, mmt wicceed, and ke feaied
to fall into the hands of his fonoas aiwiniufH. He oAned to
capitulate. The offer was aooepted. On the 19th of Norcmher
the articltfs were signed. The treatj stipulated that the Kendb
should evacnate Cap Fran^ais at the end of ten daya^ with all
their artillery, ammunition, and magazines; that thej should
withdraw to their vcj s d s with the honours of war and the
gnarantee of their private property; that they shoold leave their
sick and wounded in the h^Dspitals^ whran the blacto shoold take
care of until they were well, and that then they dioiild be sent
to France in neutral Tensela. These conditions were more
&Tonrable than the invading army had a right to expect. Tlie
day on which this convention was sgned, the French general
sent two officers to treat with the commander of the English
squadron for the evacuation of the Cape. The offered conditions
were n.»J4fctwl. Others were proposed, which Rochambean found
inadniidsible. His refusal had for its ground the hope that the
season would soon compel the English to retire from the vicinity
of the Ca]>e, and so render his escape j>otisible. Vain expectation.
On the 30 th of November the standard of the blacks waved
over the Cape. Rochomlieau felt compelled to throw himself
on the mercy of the English. At the moment when the ships
in which he had taken refuge were about to be sunk by red-hot
balls ])repared by the negroes, the segis of Britain was thrown
before them, and a frightful massacre was prevented. A short
agreement having been hastily drawn up, Dessalines was
informed that the vessels had surrendered to the arms of his
Britannic Majesty. Not without difficulty did the vengeful and
ferocious Dessalines consent to allow his prey to be thus plucked
oiit of his hands. Shortly, a fitvourable breeze having sprung
up, the three frigates and seventeen smaU croft that formed the
French fleet at the Cape, set sail, according to the ccmvention,
under the French flag ; then having tacked, they struck their
colours and suirendered. The prisoners of war amounted to
eight thousand.

ToussAiHT l'ouysbture. 2G7

Saint Marc, Cayes, J6r6mie, Saint Nicholas, the Spanish terri-
tory, were successively abandoned by the French. The departure
of the troops in the different cities was a painful scene. Families
of the colonists and many other persons lacked vesaeb to fly
from the fury of the irritated blacks. Wives and children were
separated from their husbands and their fisithers. The shores re-
sounded with cries and lamentations. On land these were about
to &11 into the hands of persons who had been their slaves ; on sea
those were about to become prisoners to the English. A number
entrusted their lives and their fcnrtunes to fragile barks.

As they sailed from the island, Bochambeau, the soldiers, and
the colonists saw the tops of the mountains glow with fire. Afore-
time the blazse had been kindled for war and devastation ; now
the blacks lighted up their high lands in token of their joy.
Freedom had been wrested out of the hands of their foes. Every
heart beat wiih. the thought. The dark past was wholly gone :
the future was radiant with hope. '' Freedom ! freedom !" ran
in joyous echoes from mountain-top to mountain-top, till the
whole island shouted '' Freedom !"

Thus ended this deplorable expedition. In less than two years
sixty thousand persons fell : fifteen hundred were officers of supe-
rior rank ; eight hundred were medical men ; three and thirty
thousand were soldiers, of whom not a sixth perished in battle.
The attempt at subjugation cost the blacks more than twelve
thousand men, of whom about four thousand found death at
the hands of executioners of various kinds.

CHAPTER V.

TouBsaint L'Ourerturo, a prisoner in the Jura Tnonntainn, appeals in Tain to the
First Consul, who brings about his death by starration — Outline of his
career and diaractor.

While the cause of independence, fbroed at length on the a»>
pirations of the natives of Hayti, was advimcing with rapid
strides amid all the tumult of arms and all the confusion of

268 THK Ufs or

despotic cruelties, Toosaaint L*Ouyertiire pined awmj and died in
the dark, damp, cold priaon of Joux.

The castle of Joux stands on a rock. On one aide^ the liTer
Doubs flows at its base; on the other, the road of Beaan^on,
leading into Switzerland, gives the stronghold the command of
the communications between that country and France. The
Chateau de Joux, built by the Romans, for their conyenience in
marching into Gaul, extended in the middle ages by the Lords
of Joux, purchased by Louis XL, kiog of France, became
under Louis XIV. a state prison. There Mirabean sofieced in-
carceration, in virtue of a UUre-de-cadteL

Toussaint LOuverture carried with him into his dungeon the
conviction that he was to undergo a trial In this conviction he
sustained his soul. He felt confident of a triumph. His enemies
ho knew were numerous and powerful The Consul, he sus-
pected, feared as much as hated him. Yet what wns his
crime ? Had not his authority emanated from the supreme
power iu France ? By that power his position and his acts had
been sanctioned. And if even he had offered resistance to the
expedition, that opposition liad been covered by an act of
indemnity proclaimed by Leclerc. If solemn asseverations meant
au3rthing, if reiterated oaths retained their validity, he could
stand before any tribunal in full confidence of an honourable
acquittal.

But the Firnt Consul was far from intending to give his prisoner
the advantages of a trial. A trial was a public appeal to the
great principles of law and right. In such an issue Bonaparte
knew very well who would be the loser. There was another,
and, for his purpose, a safer way. Toussaint was ad\Tmced in
years. He had been accustomc<l to active pursuits. He was an
African, and had lived only iu tropical regions. His days, there-
fore, could be only few, and their number would be much
abridged by confinement in a foul prison, under a chilling
climate. Could he hold out tlirough the coming winter ? If he
sur\'ived too long — why, other prisoners had passed away
secretly ; power has its secret strings and its swift remedies.

By a series of cunningly devised and coolly executed meagurea.

TonssAiNT l'ouvertube. 269

Toussaint L'Ouverture was, ere many months, brought to his
grave.

All communication with the outer world was forbidden him.
He received no news of his wife and family. He passed his
days alone with his servant ; the presence of that fidthful domestic
was a support to him. That solace was taken away, and Tous-
saint was left alone. Yet was he not alone, for God was with
him. In prayer his soul rose hourly to his Maker, and he received
constantly new effusions of comfort and strength. Eeligious
thoughts and observances carried his mind back to the country
for which he had sacrificed everything. There, in imagination,
he again saw the chapel where he and his family were wont to
worship, and while the hymns of praise went up from its neatly-
formed roof, he was drawn into sympathy with the worshippers,
and with a moved heart and liquid voice, he joined his thanks-
givings with theirs. Day by day, and often hours together, was
he on his knees, seeking aid and finding support at the footstool
of the heaverfy grace, where never mortal knelt in vain.

But time passed on, and there were no signs of the expected
trial. Hope sustained against hope began at last to fail. What !
was he then a prisoner for life ? If so, his sufferings, if severe,
would not be long. Already he felt the chills of the nights of
autumn — ^there alone, in that cold, dreary dungeon, no fire, little
clothes, no companion, those long pinching nights. And then
the winds began to blow hollow and loud, as if they announced a
worse time coming. How soon ? How long 1 The winter must
be at hand ; his captivity may extend through its whole course ;
but can it endure, can life stretch out, till the genial breath of
spring return ]

One day, in the midst of Toussaint's gloomy solitude, a visitor
was announced. A visitor ! what, if it were his son Isaac ! or if
not he, perhaps an officer of justice to announce the coming
triaL No, it was Cafarelli, aide-de-camp to the First ConsuL " O
then, here is an order for liberation ; the prison doors will fly
open, and I shall once more see my wife and children !" Alas,
poor heart, no ! the man comes from one whose soul is meaner
than his own. Bonaparte thinks it a pity the treasures he

270 THE UFB OF

fimcies yon have buried should be lost ; and thoagb he does noi
intend to give you your freedom as the price of the diflclosoFev
yet he sends his aide-de-camp to trick yon into aome kind of
confession on the point, which he may turn to accoont^ and in
the result of which, if it is enough, he may find some compen-
sation for the millions he has layished in Saint Domingo in
making you his captive.

Toussaint, great in misfortune, gave for his reply, " I have
lost something very different from money.^ Yes^ thou hadst
lost the liberty thou didst once enjoy ; and, peraclventare, in a
moment of sorrow thou thoughtest thou hadst lost the sacred
cause in which thou hadst put thy aouL

But mark this ConsuFs mean spirit. He had his victim there
cooped up only too safely in that humid and infected prison.
Still he wa^ uusatistied. Possibly the prisoner had money. If
so, why its hiding-] >lace must be ascertained, ere his lips are
sealed in the silence of death. ^"^ Go then, Ca&relli, get the
secret out of the old negro, and then he may be aMowed to die.**

Toussaint would not resign himself to his fete without an
effort. There was only one tribunal, and that tribunal was a
perjured one. Yet an appeal might have some effect. The
following letter was therefore i^i-itten : —

In the dungeon of Fort Joux, this 30 Fructidor, an. xi.
(17th September, 1^02.)

"General, and Fiilst Consul,

'^ The respect and the subnussion which I could wish
for ever graven on my heart — [here toords are tcantiiig, as if
obliterated by tears]. If I have sinned in doing my duty, it
18 contrary to my intentions ; if I was wrong in forming the
constitution, it was through my great desire to do good ; it was
through having employed too much zeal, too much self-love,
thinking I was pleasing the government imder which I was ;
if the formalities which I ought to have observed were n^ected,
it was through inattention. I have had the misfortune to incur
your wrath, but as to fidelity and probity, I am strong in my
conscienoe, and I dare affirm, that among all the servants of the

TOUSSAIKT L'OUYEBTURE. 271

8tate no one is more honest than myael£ I was one of your
soldiers, and the first servant of the Bepublic in Saint Domingo ;
bnt now I am wretched, mined, dishonoured, a victim of my
own services; let your sensibility be moved at my position.
You are too great in feeling and too just not to pronounce a
judgment as to my destiny. I charge General Cafarelli, your
aide-de-camp, to put my report into your hands. I b^ joa
to take it into your best consideration. His honour, his
frankness, have forced me to open my heart to him.

" Salutation and respect,

^'ToussAiirr L'Ouvertuke."

Days passed away, and no notice was taken of this epistle.
The report of which it speaks was either suppressed or
neglected. Dead to pity, Bonaparte watched for the con-
summation of the villany he had designed. It was customary
to allow the commander of the prison five francs (about four
shillings) a day for the subsistence of each prisoner ; the First
Consul wrote that three were sufficient for a revolter. More
than sufficient for thy base purpose ! Didst thou remember
those words when thou didst beat thyself against the bars of
thy own cage in the island of St. Helena, complaining daily
of a table which, compared with thy allowance to '^ the first of
the blacks,** was a banquet of delicacies to '^ a dinner of herbs !**

While the process of gradual starvation was going forward,
its unconscious victim, outraged by his sufierings, wrote this
spirited epistle to his persecutor : —

In the dungeon of Fort Joux, tlus 7 Vend^miaire, an. xL

(29th September, 1802.)

" Genekal, and Fibst Consul,

''I beg you, in the name of God, in the name of
humanity, to cast a favourable eye on my appeal, on my position,
and my fiunily; direct your great genius to my conduct, to the
manner in which I have served my country, to all the dangers
I have run in discharging my duty. I have served my country
with fidelity and probity ; I have served it with zeal and courage ;
I have been devoted to the Government under which I was; I

273 THS UfB OF

have sacrificed myUoodyAnd a part of what I poMwad, to aerre
mj conntrj, and in spite of mj efiortfl, all mj laboura baire been
in Tain. Yon will permit me. First Consol, to saj to jon, with
all the respect and sabmiBsion which I owe yon, that tho Grorem-
meut has been completely deceived in regard to Toossaint L*Oa-
verture, in regard to one of its most sealoos and oourageons
servants in Saint Dominga I labonred long to aoqnire honoar
and glory firom the €k>vemmeuty and to gain the esteem of my
fellow-citizens, and I am now, for my reward, crowned with
thorns and the most marked ingratitade. I do not deny the
faults I may have committed, and for which I beg yonr pwdon.
But those faults do not deserve the fourth of the pimiahment I
have received, nor the treatment I have nndexgone.

'' First Consul, it is a misfortune for me that I am not known
to you. If you had thoroughly known me while I was at Saint
Domingo, you would have done me more justice ; my heart is
good. I am not learned, I am ignorant ; but my fieither, who is
now blind,' showed me the road of virtue and honour, and I am
very strong in my conHcience in that matter ; and if I had not
bi'cn devoted to the Government, I should not have been here —
that is a truth ! I am ^Tetched, miserable, a >ictim of all my
services. All my life I have been in acti\'e service, and since
the revolution of the 10th of August, 1790, I have constantly
bi>en in the service of my country. Now I am a prisoner with
no ix>wer to do anything; sunk in grief, my health is impaired.

*' I YiBve asked you for my freedom that I may labour, that I
may gain my subsistence and support my unhappy fiunily. I
coll on your greatness, on your genius, to pronounce a judgment
on my destiny. Let yoiu* heart be softened and touched by my
posiition and my misfortunes.

" I salute you, with profound respect,
(Signed) " ToussAnn* L'Ouvebture."

Alas ! the First Consul lias pronounced judgment, and the

* Gaou-Guinou, ToubmudI'ii father, died in 1804, baring completelj lost his
tight. lie ifl said to hare left the world utterinj; curses against white men.
Wrong as this was, he had onlj too much cause for his wrath.

ToussAUTT l'ouyertxtbe. 273

consequent sentence the prisoner is even now undergoing. That
sentence is " slow death T And then as you, Toussaint, shake
with the cold of the northern blast, or sink OYeroome with sorrow
on the moist, fool floor of your cell, or refuse with loathing the
unsavoury food; and as your limbs part with their strength, and
your heart flutters in debility, and your blood becomes thin and
poor, and as you look to the winter's frost, snow, hail, and storm,
with a vague distress and dismal forebodings — in each step of
the process of slow death the Consul's verdict goes into execu-
tion, and another day, or another week, is taken from the brief
number that remain to you.

Yet well and noble is it, that under the depression of your
unhappy condition, while your heart sinks with the sinking of
your illHsupported frame — ^it is well and noble that you descend
to no mean flatteries, that you descend to no unworthy suppli-
cations, and that, retaining your own high manly spirit, yon
protest your innocence, proclaim your services, and chaige your
enemies with ingratitude.

Toussaint UOuverture then began to compose with his own
hand a document, in which he entered into a systematic defence
of his conduct. This document, the orthography of which is
flaid to have been defective, was couched in correct and some-
times eloquent terms. By permission of the governor of the
castle, it was copied by Martial-Besse, then one of his prisoners,
and on the 2nd of October it was transmitted to the First Con-
fluL The document contained^the following passages : — " Oeneral
Leclerc employed towards me means which have never been
•employed towards the greatest enemies. Doubtless, I owe that
contempt to my colour; biit has that colour prevented me
from serving my country with zeal and fidelity? Does the
colour of my body injure my honour or my courage ? Suppose
I was criminal, and that the General-in-Chief had orders to
arrest me, — ^was it needful to employ a hundred carbineers to
iurrest my wife and children, to tear them from their residence
without respect, and without regard for their rank, their sex ;
without hiunanity, and without charity? Was it necessary to
Are on my plantations, and on my family, to ransack and pil-

T

274 THS UFB OF

Uge my property t No ! My wife, my duldren, my lioiiselioldy
were under no reeponsibility, — ^have no aecoont to render to
Government ; General Lederc had not even the right to arrest
them. Was that officer afraid of a rival ! I compare him to
the Roman Senate, that pursued Hannibal even into his retire-
ment. I request that he and I may appear before a tribunal,
and that the Government bring forward the whole of my oor^
respondence with him. By that means, my innocence, and all
I have done for the Republic, will be seen.

** First Consul, &ther of all French soldiers, upright judge,
defender of the innocent, pronounce a decision as to my destiny:
my wound is deep, apply a remedy to it : you are the phyaician,
I rely entirely on your wisdom and skilL^

These appeals to the justice, honour, and humanity of the
First Consul proved abortive. Bonaparte*8 mind was made np.
His ear, therefore, was closed. Toussaint spoke to a forgone
conclusion ; his words were encountered by a fixed determina-
tion. That detormination was so fixed, and so well known,
that no one dared to s])eak in fiivour of the oppressed and doomed
hero. Fear of the supreme magistrate occupied aU minds around
him, and gave to his will the force of law.

That precipitate and iron mind found the process of slow
murder too slow. Solitude, cold, and short fare, were tardy in
their operation. Their natural tardiness was not abated by the
presence with the captive of his faithful ser\*ant. Mars Plaisir
was therefore taken away by an express order of the Grovemmcnt.
In parting from him, Toussaint L'Ouverturo said, " Carry my
last fiirewell to my wife, my children, and my niece. Would I
could console thee imder this cruel se|Miration : be assiu^ of my
friendship and of the remembrance which I shall alwajrs preserve
of thy services and of thy devotedness."

Toussaint, thou art still the same, still self-forgetful, still
mindful of thy wife and family. The disinterested benevolence
which made thee a patriot, and which the prosi>ect of supreme
power could not bribe into subjection, remains uuchillcd by the
cold of the Jura mountains, and unsuppressed by bodily weakness,
and unperverted by ingratitude and perfidy.

TOussAiNT l'ouverture. 275

Mars Plaisir was loaded with chains and sent to Nantee, where
he was pnt in prison. Bnt onwelcome troths make their waj
through hars and walls, therefore was the good servant specially
guarded and watched, lest, before his master's demise, he should
disclose &cts that might prove troublesome, or set in motion
instruments that might traverse the designs of the tyrant.

The progress made in Hayti by the assertors of the national
independence, kept Bonaparte in a constant state of sc^citnda
He could not conceal firom himself that the escape of Tomsaint
firom his dungeon was a possible event. He was well aware that
his reappearance in Saint Domingo would make the reduction
of the inhabitants impossible Nay, the mere knowledge of his
being still alive, while it encouraged the hope of his yet taking
the lead of the soldiers of independence, served to keep up the
courage of the insurgents, and to augment the difficulties of
Kochambeau. His death, therefore, seemed to Bonaparte
urgently necessary. A&irs were hurrying to a crisis in the
West Indies. A blow must be struck. The trunk of the insur-
rection, the First Consul had it in his power to pluck up and
destroy : at least, so he thought. . Therefore the order went forth,
" Cut it down : root it up." The manner was worthy of the
deed.

The governor of the castle was chosen for the perpetration of
the crime. Scarcely was he a man for the work. He had
scruples of conscience. But nothing short of plenary obedience
would be accepted. Besides, it was not a question of the dagger
or the bowl. All that was wanted was a more decided system
of privation. And that system he scarcely needed to work
actively. When a prisoner is kept in close confinement, and
must be got rid of, you have only to reduce lus means of sub-
sistence until death ensues as a matter of course. And if the
process is too slow, ii may be accelerated by a little well-timed
neglect. To an attenuated and famished frame^ the want of
nutrition for a few days brings certain death. Let the ordinary
pittance of supply then be forgotten, and your end is gained.
And who shall dare to call an act of oblivion by the foul and
oflfenaive name of murder t

tS

276 THE LITE OF

The governor twice took a jouinej to Neofch&tel, In Swiimv
land. The first time he eDtmsted the keyi of Tooanint's cdl
to Captain Colomier, whom he appointed to fill his place in his
absence. Colomier visited the noble prisoner, who apcke to him
modestly of his own glory, bnt with indignation of the design
imputed to him of having wished to deliver Saint I>(«ningo up
to the English. His emaciated and feeble hands weie engaged
in writing a paper intended to disprove that groondlesB charge.
The officer found Toussaint in a state of almost absolute priva-
tion. A little meal was his only fixxl, and that he had to pre-
pare himself in a small earthen jug. But Colomier had a heart :
he pitied the destitution of a man who had had at lus conunand the
opulence of Saint Domingo. His humanity made him unfit for
his office, and ascertaining that the captive accounted the want
of coffee among his chief privations, he ventured at his own risk
to furnish a small supply.

When the governor returned, he found that Toussaint
UOuverture was still alive. In a short time he took a second
journey to the same town, and for the same purpose ; and as he
suspected that Colomier's good nature had interfered with his
duty, he said to him, on leaving, with a disquieted countenance,
** I entrust to you the guardianship of the cattle ; but this time
I do not give you the keys of the dungeons : the prisoners have
no need of anything/*

The governor returned on the fourth day. Toussaint was no more.
He ascertained the fact. Yes, there he is — dead ; no doubt what-
ever — dead and cold. He has died of inanition. And see, if vou
have courage to look on so horrible a sight — the rats have
gnawed his feet !

The work is done — the crime is perpetrated. Bonaparte's will
18 law: his word is death. But murder is a word of evil
sound. The world, with all its depi-avity, has a moral feeling,
and that moral feeling it is impolitic to outrage. A \'eil must
be thrown over the assassination.

" Toussaint is dead :" — " how came he bv his death T

The governor, on learning that his captive had breathed his
last, carried some provisions into his dungeon. Who now can

ToussADJT l'ouverture. 277

saj that Toussaint had been starved to death ? He died in the
midst of abundance. This was the governor's own plea. But
he deprived that plea of its effect by his eagerness to obtrude
and make the most of it ; and he betrayed his guilt by his
looks and manner. Yes, he was distressed at Toussaint's sudden
departure, — he bewailed the event. But hypocrisy ever over-
acts its part. Besides, the governor was not thoroughly de-
praved ; and that which he would have men regard as the sad-
ness of a virtuous heart in mourning, they saw to be the ragings
of a conscience smitten with a sense of guilt ; his cheeks put on
a livid paleness ; his steps were hasty and uncertain ; his eyes
were wild. Yes, here is a man deeply suffering under the stings
of remorse. His nervous and agitated efforts to make it clear
— ^very clear, beyond a question — ^that Toussaint has died of a
natural cause, demonstrates that he knows more than he dares
reveal, and has contracted a guilt that he would fain conceal
even from his own eyes. But the keys of the dungeon were in
his possession ; and the words, " The prisoners want nothing,**
and the food recently carried thither; these £Etcts — ^knownto our
authority,'^ and known to Captain Colomier, and known to other
inmates of the castle — declare that murder has been committed.
Yes, now we see why Mars Plaisir has been sent away. And
now we see why this remote, solitary, wild and freezing prison
has been chosen. And now we see why Toussaint L*Oaverture
was entrapped. The series of crimes is consummated.

Still the question returns, '^ What will be the opinion of the
world f* Medical men were called in. The head was opened;
the brain was scrutinized. "It is apoplexy,*' the authorities
said ; and apoplexy was set down in the formal report made as
to the cause of Toussaint's death. Possibly so ; but what pro-
duced the apoplexy 1 Ask Captain Colomier — ask the mayor of
the district. They were both required to state that death had
taken place by some cause different from hunger, and they both
refused !

* See particular] J M6tral*8 ** Hutoire de TExp^tion des Fraofais a Saint
Domiogue,'* p. 201, seq.

278 THS LiFB or

Yes; what was the opinioii of th6 world 1 The world believed
and declared that there had been foul plaj. That belief gained
prevalence in Saint Domingo, and added fuel to the fliiw of
wrath which, without this new brand, burned with intomrt
fierceness, consuming the French army, and making their longer
stay in the island an impossibility.

Thus, in the beginning of April, in the year 1803, died Tous-
aaint L'Ouverture. A grandson of an African kin^ he passed
the greater number of lus days in slavery, and xoee to be a
soldier, a general, a governor. He possessed a rsze genius, the
efficiency of which was augmented by an unusual power of aalf*
concealment. His life lay in thought and in action rather than
in words. Self-contained, he was also self-sufficing. Though he
disdained not the advice of others, he was in the main his own
council-board. With an intense concentration of vitality in his
own soul, he threw into his outer life a power and an energy
which armed one man with the power of thousands, and made
him great alike in the command of others and in the command
of himself. He vras created for government by the hand of
Nature. That strength of soul and self-reliance which made him
fit to rule, also gave him subjects for his sway. Hence it was
that he could not remain in the herd of his fellow slaves^ Bise
he must, and rise he did; first to humble offices, then to the
conmiand of a regiment, and then to the command of "the
armies of Saint Domingo."

To the qualities which make an illustrious general and states-
man, there were added in ToussainVs soul, the milder virtues
that form the strength and the ornament of domestic life.
Great as he was in the field and in the cabinet, scarcely leas
great and more estimable vras he as a husband and a fisither.
There his excellences shone without a shade. The sacrifice of
his sons to the duty which he owed to his country, only illus-
trates the intensity of a patriotism which could extort so
precious a possession from a father's hands.

But he had learned his duty from the lips of One who taught
men to make the love of children and parents subordinate to
the love of himself; and assured that he had in some special

ToussADTT l'ouyebtube, 279

manner been called and sent to set the captive free, he, in a
native benevolence of character which the Gospel enriched,
strengthened, and directed, concentrated all the £ne endowments
of his sonl on the great work of negro emancipation in the
island of his birth.

His mind appeared in his countenance and his manner, jet
only as if under a veiL His looks were noble and dignified,
rather than refined ;* his eyes, darting fire, told of the burning
elements of his souL Though little aided by what is called
education, he, in the potency of his mind, bent and moulded
language to his thoughts, and ruled the minds of others by an
eloquence which was no less concise than simple, manly, and
fill! of imagery. As with other men of ardent genius, he fused
ideas into proverbs, and put into circulation sayings that are
reported to be still current in his native land.

But after all, he was greater in deed than he was in word.
Vast was the influence which he acquired by the mere force of
his silent example. His veiy name became a tower of strength
to his friends and a terror to his foea. Hence his presence was
so impressive, that none approached him without lear, nor left
him without emotion.

If the world has reason to thank Qod for great men, with
special gratitude should we acknowledge the divine goodness in
raising up Touasaint L*Ouverture. Among the privil^ed races
of the earth, the roll of patriots, legislators, and heroes, is long
and well filled. As yet there is but one Toussaint L'Ouverture.
Yet how many of the highest qualities of our nature did that
one unite in him8el£ But his best claim to our respect and
admiration, consists in the entire devotion of his varied and
lofty powers to the redemption of his colour from degrading
bondage^ and its elevation into the full stature of perfect
manhood.

I do not intend to paint the Haytian patriot as a perfect man.
Moral perfection once appeared on earth. It is not likely to

* An tlie fikoneiBes of ToniMunt L'OaTertnre which I have Men exeep4
4mB, hs?e the diMdvastage of being in profile*

280 THE LIFE OP

Lave appeared a second time among the bUtm of HaytL T<
saint han been accused of harshness and cruelty. I am not pre-
pared to affirm that the charges are without fimndation. But
it is equally true that his enemies have done their utmost to
point out stains in his character. Unfortunately, the meena for
a thorough investigation are wholly wanting. It has also been
said that he was an adept at dissimulation. But secrecy in his
circumstances was both needful and virtuous ; and if the study
of secrecy on his part was undue, let the fiuling be set down
against him at its full value. It has even been intimated that
when in power he yielded to the JbadnationB of the aooomplialied
Creole women of the Cape. But the intimation, fidnt and in-
direct as it is, rests on no solid grounds. In truth, it waa
impossible that a man of the origin and aims of Touasaint
L'Ouverture should have escaped the shafts of calumny, and,
after all duo abatements are made, enough of excellence remains
to command our admiration and win our esteem.

While, however, the world has seen but one Touasaint
L'Ouverture, this history sets forth many black men who were
possessed of great fiicultics, and accomplished great deeds.
And though the instance of their chief only shows what an
elevation men with a black skin may possibly attain, there are
in the general teuour of this narrative proofii very numerous
and irrefragable, that iu the ordinary powers and virtues which
form the texture and the ornament of civilized life, an African
origin and negro blood involve no essential disqualification.

Very clear, certainly, has it appeared that whether in its rights;,
its wrongs, its penalties, or its rewards, Justice — the ever-living
daughter of the eternal God, and the ever-present and ever-active
administratrix of Divine Providence— knows nothing whateverof
the distinctions, the prejudices, the dislikes, or the preferences
of colour. An injury done to a European ceases not to be an
injury when the sufferer is an African. Nor are breakers of
God's laws punished with less severity within the tropics than
they are in the temperate zones. Slavery, which hn the essence
and the concentration of injustice — Slavery, which from its
foundation to its top-stone is one huge and frightful accumula-

T0U8SAINT l'OUVKRTURE. 281

tioQ of wrongs, of wrongs the bugest and the direst — Slavery,
which is the worst form of treachery to man and treason against
€k)d, entails vengeance the most terrible, the most awful ; ven-
geance not less sure than dreadful Alas ! that in the scourge
the innocent should suffer as well as the guilty. The thought
would sink the mind in grief, were it not attended by the con-
viction that " the hour cometh** when the righteous shall shine
as stars in the firmament for ever and ever.

The fiunily of Toussaint L*Ouverture received the news of
his death with the deepest grief. They wept and wailed, and
refused to be comforted because he was not.

Under a pretence that they contemplated escape, those inno-
cent persons were transferred from Bayonne to Agen, where
they found friends worthy of themselves.

When Saint Jean UOuverture heard of his j&ther*s death, he
declared that he should not long survive him. The sa3ring was
too true. The effects of the climate on a naturally weak con-
stitution brought him to the tomb ere he had quitted the
period of youth. His death almost caused the death of his
female cousin, from whom he received in his sickness the most
tender and vigilant cares.

Shortly after, the £unily succeeded in obtaining the fieivour
that Placide L'Ouverture should quit his place of detention and
reside with them at Agen.

Madame Toussaint L*Ouverture, who was lnirwi||^[iiiil revered
alike by her husband and her children, survived that husband
and her youngest son for several years, without being able to
overcome the grief which their loss occasioned, and which was
so deep and constant as to undermine her fieiculties. She died,
in 1816, in the arms of her sons, Placide and Isaac L'Ouver-
ture.

The history of L'Ouverture placed by the side of the history
of Bonaparte, presents a number of striking parallels. Both
bom in a humble position, they raised themselves to the height
of power by the force of their genius and the intense energy of
their character. Both gained renown in legislation and govern-
ment as well as in war. Both fell the moment they had

282 THE LIFE or

attained sapreme anthoritj. Both were betrayed hy psetended
friendji, and delivered into the hands of embittered foea. Both
were severed from their £unilie& Both finished their lives
on a barren rock.

The parallels have their contrasts. Tonasaint KOnvertme
fought for liberty ; Bonaparte fought for himself. Toussaint
L'Ouverture gained fiune and power^ by leading an oppnaased
and injured race to the successful vindication of their rights;
Bonaparte made himseJf a name and acquired a sceptre by
supplanting liberty and destroying nationalities, in order to
substitute his own illegitimate despotisoL The fidl of Tonasaint
L'Ouverture was a voluntary retirement fix>m power, accom-
panied by a voluntary renunciation of authority, under circum-
stances which seemed to guarantee that fireedom the attainment
of which had been the sole object of his efforts ; the fiJl of
Bonaparte was the forced alxUcation of a throne which was
regarded as a European nuisance, and descent from which was
a virtual acknowledgment that he had utterly failed in the
purposes of his life. In the treachery which they underwent,
on one side, Toussaint L'Ouverture was the victim and Bona-
parte the seducer ; and on the other side, the former suffered
from those who had been his enemies, the latter from those who
in profession were his constant friends. And in the rupture
of their domestic ties, Bonaparte was the injurer, Toussaint
L'Ouverture the injured.

Nor is it easy to bring one's mind to the conclusion, that
retribution was wholly absent in the facts to which allusion has
just been made. The punishment is too like the crime to be
regarded as accidental. Toussaint s domestic bereavement was
requited by Bonaparte's domestic sorrows. The drear solitude
of the castle of Joiix was experienced over again at Saint
Helena by him who inflicted the penalty. Strange to say, it
was a friend of the negroes — ^namely. Admiral Maitland — that
conducted the Gorsican to his prison. And as if to make the
correspondence the more complete, and the retribution the more
potent, by an exchange of extreme localities, the man of the
temperate regions was transferred to the tropics, to atone for his

T0XJ8SAENT LOUYERTUBE.

283

crime in transferring the man of tHe tropics to the killing frosts
of the temperate regions. Besembling each other in several
points of their calamities and pains, the two differed in that
•which is the dividing line between the happy and the wretched;
for while, with Bonaparte, Qod was a name, with Tousaaint L'Ou-
verture, God was at once the sole reality and the sovereign
good.*

• See Kote C, at the end.

BOOK IV.

FROM THE EVACUATION OP HAYTI BY THE FRENCH TO

THE PRESENT TIME.

CHAPTER I.

Betulinet pramiict tafetj to the Whites, but bittcrlj peneeatet them — ^BMoawt
Emperor of Hajti--Seiictioiii a wiae constitution — mdds to rice and Ibllr,
and is dethroned and slain.

The retirement of the French forces from the island of Saint
Domingo, shortly after the death of Toussaint L'Ouverture,
assurer] the natives of the essential goodness of their cause, and
the genuine vigour of their strength. Aforetime, they had been
making experiments ; now, success gave them a consciousness of
superiority. Even when roblied of their national hero, they had
destroyed their foe and achieved their independence. From that
moment, the blacks, who formed the bulk of the inhabitants,
believed themselves invincible. Whatever Europeans were in
Europe, in Saint Domingo they were clearly inferior to Africans.
There had been a great trial of strength, and white tyranny,
having been worsted in the encounter, must submit to its own
law — the law of the stronger. In their hyperbolical language
the blacks asked, " What fleet, what army, what warriors can in
future bring us slavery? At their approach, should we not
behold the form of a giant, the angry genius of our native land,
raise the tempests with his powerful hand, and break in pieces
and scatter their ships ? The laws of nature obey his puissant
voice ; the plague, conflagration, prison, and famine, follow in
his footsteps ; but without the aid of this genius, whose arms are
the elements, have we not souls Imrdened in adversity, and now

THE LIFE OP TOC788AINT L^OUYEBTUBE. 285

more than ever panting for combat, for peril, for glory. The
empire of our liberty can only grow, rise, and become grand."

But when they cast their eyes around them, they fall into
melancholy, and waste away in regrets. Here is one who bewails
the loss of a beloved wife that perished on the scaffold; there^
another who cannot put away from his heart the image of a
sister whom he saw thrown into the flames. Mothers weep for
their infants crushed in their cradles. ' This man points out the
tree which served as a gibbet for his father; another indicates
the spot which is still stfained with the gore of relatives, torn in
pieces by h&\f'Btfit>^^ hounds. One cries, ** There is the sea,
where I saw a" whole band of our brothers perish." His com-
panion attempts to calculate the victims, and makes their number
amount to more than twenty thousand. On all sides, they see
the perishing limbs or the dry bones of those with whom they
own a community of nature : horrible images, which nourish in
their souls a vengeance that, whether silent or clamorous, is alike
fearful.

But if the past afflicts them, they are consoled by the future.
Are they not about to offer to the world the singular spectacle of
savages torn from the deserts of Africa, forming a new and well-
organized state, which will dictate laws, promote civilizaton,
receive ambassadors, form treaties, and make its flag respected
by nations both near and remote? Thus, out of the bosom of
Slavery would there arise a people, free, independent, and happy.
Tiieir origin, their adversity, their elevation, were unexampled in
history. They had before them a great destiny. Besides, in their
emancipation there was a guarantee of the emancipation of their
race. Hayti free, the West Indies would not long remain in
bondage ; and when once the islands sang aloud in the joy of
liberty, the Continent, at no very distant day, would send back
the sounds in reverberations increased a hundredfold.

The colonists too, again, contemplated their condition; they
were ruined, yet would they not relinquish hope. They were in
exile, but they would not forego their desire to return. What I
should slaves rule a land which their own ancestors had fertilized
and civilized? S|iould slaves reap the harvests of wealth which

286 TKE LIR OF

they themselTCS hftd once enjoyed, and wluch of right bdooged
to themf Could France be insensible to tbe titaauws of that
mine whence it had already drawn so modi wealth! Will not
the Consul put forth his mighty hand, and resume poancBsioBi
which are sufficient to enridb himf And snrdy they tbemaelDes
had claims on his considerations. '^ See," they exclaimed — *^ see
Saint Domingo a second time watered with our Uood — irith our
blood, shed by the hands of slaves — ^the hands of our own bIstcs ;
our cities, our plantations, our edifices, are only heaps of ruins;
and we ourselTes, once the wealthiest of men, are bonsdesi
wanderers, condemned to live on charity." With Bonaparte, to be
weak was to be in the wrong, and complaints were a kind of
personal offimce ; the colonists had lost the game, and consequently
were unworthy of attention : he Ibtened to them no longer.

8aint Domingo, however, after baling been the theatre of so
many tragic scenes, was scarcely more than a desert inhabited by
hordes of blacks, simple, ignorant, semi-barbarous, who knew the
extremes of bIuvcf}' and freedom ; they bad Icamt much, because
they had suifered much ; they still preserved the youthful vigour
of nature ; but they had a task before them of the utmost diffi-
culty, in comparison with which their strength was weakness
indeed. Yet had they grounds of confidence. Among those
grounds, their liberty was the chief ; a liberty not bestowed, but
acc|uirc<l ; a liberty fought for and paid for ; a liberty, therefore,
replete no less with strength than instruction. Tliat liberty they
owed to Toussaint L*Ouverture, who thus appeared to them as
the founder of the state as well as the vindicator of their liberties.
While fighting for the national freedom, and laying the founda-
tions of the new policy, Toussaint had begun to form the men of
his colour to the arts of peace, and to pre]>arc them for developing
the advantages which he put into their hands. Beneficial results
would be slow to come, yet come they would. Under the foster-
ing wings of liberty, and under the impulses of the undying
mind and example of the national hero and patriot, letters and
the arts, commerce and opulence, civilization and religion, would
revive, and grow, and in time flourish.

After the departure of Rochambeau and the forces under his

i

T0US8AIKT l'oUYERTUBE. 287

command, there remained in the island a number of Frenchmen^
at Cape Frangois and other towns. In part, their continued
residence in Saint Domingo arose from their inability to find
acconmiodation in the vessels which received their retiring fellow-
countrymen. Some were not in haste to remove, hoping that
they might by delay dispose of their property to a less disadvan-
tage than was possible in the hurry of a compulsory and immediate
departure. Others, again, were detained by a regard to domestic
alliances into which they had entered.

It appears somewhat strange that any who had witnessed the
tragic scenes of the recent terrible struggle, and who knew how
the sensitive nature of the blacks made them prone to sudden
and violent outbursts of vengeance, should have dared to risk
their lives by tarrying on the scene of conflict. Few in number,
and without organization, they were exposed to all the chances
of reprisals, which lay in the sense of accumulated injuries and
the consciousness of overwhelming numbers. At first, the poli-
tical horizon was calm, and inspired them with some degree of
hope or even confidence ; but the promise of safety soon vanished.
A proclamation, however, was put forth which was of favourable
augury; it ran thus :

"IV THE KAME OF THE BlACKS, AND THE MeK OF COLOUE :

"The independence of Saint Domingo is proclaimed. Re-
stored to our primitive dignity, we have secured our rights ; we
swear never to cede them to any power in the world. The
frightful veil of prejudice is torn in pieces ; let it remain so for
ever. Woe to him who may wish to collect the blood-stained
tatters.

** You, proprietors of Saint Domingo, who are wandering in
foreign countries, while we proclaim our independence, we in no-
way forbid you, whosoever you are, to return to your properties.
Far from us be such an idea ! We are not ignorant that many
among you have renounced their old errors, abjured the in-
justice of their exorbitant pretensions, and recognised the justice
of the cause for which, during twelve years, we have shed our

288 THX UFB OF

blood. We will treat as brethren the men who do ns this jnstiee
let them for ever reckon on onr esteem and onr friendahip; kt
them return and dwell amongst ns ! Maj the Qod who proteda
us, the God of free men, prevent us from turning against then
our triumpluint arms. As to those who, possessed bj aenseless
pride, interested slaves of guilty pretension, are blind enough to
think themselves the essence of human nature, and declare that
heaven made them to be our masters and our tyrants — ^let them
never approach the land of Saint Domingo; if they come hither,
they will find cliains and banishment Let them remain where
tliey are ; and tormented by a too well-merited wretchedness,
and loaded with the disdain of the just men whom they have too
long mocked at, let them continue their existence nnpitied and
unnoticed.

" \Vc have Rworn to show no mercv to those who mar dare to
speak to us of slaver}'. We shall be inexorable, perliaps cruel
toward the troops, who, forgetting the object for which from
1789 they have not ceased to fight, may come from £uroi)e to
inflict on us servitude and death ; nothing will be too dear to be
sacrificed, nothing impossible to be executed, by men from whom
it may l)e wished to snatch the first of all blessings. Should wc
l>c obliged to shed rivers of blood, should we, to preserve onr
freedom, be eonipolled to set on fire seven-eighths of the globe,
wc shall be prunounced innocent before the tribunal of Provi-
dence, who has not created men to see them groan under a yoke
80 oppressive nnd so ignominious.

"If in the ditterent commotions which have taken place, some
residents of whom we have no reason to complain, have l>een
victims of the cruelty of sohliers or of planters, rendered by their
past evils too blind to be capable of distinguishing good and
humane proprietors from those who were insensible and cruel, we,
with all generous minds, bewail their deplorable lot, and wc de-
clare, in face of the universe, whatever cvilly-disi>osed ^lersons
may say, that those murders have been committed contrary to
the desires of our hearts. It was impossible, esi)ecially in the
crisis through which the colony has gone, to prevent or to stop
those horrors. Those who have the slightest knowledge of his-

TOUSSAIKT L*OUV£BTUR£. 289

tory, are aware that a people, when a prey to civil diseord, even
were it the most cultivated on earth, runs into exoesaes of all
kinds, and that the authority of chiefs, too little respected in
times of revolution, cannot punish all the guilty without continu-
ally creating new difficulties. But the Aurora of peace euaUes ob
to descry the light of a less stormy future. Now that the calm
of victory has succeeded to the troubles of a terrible war, every-
thing in Saint Domingo will take a new appearance, and hence-
forth its government will be the government of jostice.

" Given at the Head-Quarters, Fort Dauphin, 22nd Nov. 1803.

(Signed) << Di:9SAijkb9w
" Christophs.
" Clervaux."

These words were subscribed by the two great negro-diiefe and
a powerful mulatto leader, men with some exceptions worthy of
the sacred cause of which Toussaint UOuverture was the originator.
Happy for that cause and for the island, had the spirit of this
proclamation been observed. But Dessalines was by nature
cruel. The gradual means of a peaceful policy were regarded by
him as so many hindrances in his way. As slaves make the
worst of tyrants, so Dessalines, who began life in the lowest
condition of servitude, now that he had attained nnboonded
power, proved the most violent and the most unsparing of
despots. And as in civil commotions the most depraved and
the most daring snatch the lead from moderate and virtuous men,
so Dessalines speedily set at nought Christophe and Clcrvanxy
and entered on a sanguinary and destructive career, in whidi his
soul had peculiar delight.

There were two special reasons which dictated the mild and
just tenour of the preceding document. The population had been
thinned by the ravages of war. The ranks of the army i^equired
to be recruited. Only in the possession of a strong military
force could the rulers of the island feel completely secure. It
was consequently important to check emigration, and procure
the return of natives who had settled in the neighbounog islands
and on the American continent. In order to augment bis forces^

u

290 TUE LIFE OF

Dessalines offered to give to the captains of American \emtia Iht
sum of forty dollars for every black or man of colour, whom ihef
should land on the shored of Saint Dominga If sudi a step looks
like that purch4i.sc of men on which rests the servitude so strongij
condemned in the proclamation, the offer which Dessalmes aiooog
other commenrial advantages made to Great Britain, namdj,
the exclusive possession of the slave-trade in the island, shows
how little that half-savage understood the principles on whidi
the freedom of the country reposed, and how prepared he was
to augment his ranks by any mesns within his reach. Under
the rule of one so ignorant and so violent, a pacific settlement of
the disturbed, and to some extent conflicting interests of the
island, was in no way to be expected.

Having, however, wrested their liberty out of the hands of its
assailants, the hhicks took such measures as were in their power
for entering with advantage on their new and perilous career.
Tlic verv* nr.nic of the island was offensive to them. The dcsiirna'
tion, Saint Domingo, as given by white men, was a badge and a
memento of the slavery oiii of which they had fought their way.
The original ramc v.as still current among the native jtopulation
in its more pcqii strrcd locjilitie.^, and passing from mouth to
mouth, was trcii>urod iii the hearts of thousands as a precious
remnant of b}-;^'ijr.e and happy days. With that name old his-
toric meinorits were connected, and family pride made that name
a part of its own rude heraldr}*. Conscijuently one of the earliest
determinations on the part of tlie blacks, was to revive the appel-
lation of Hayti. The eliange was as politic as it was becoming.
Under this favourite designation, on the Ist of January, 1804,
the island solemnly assumed sovereign power. In the name of
the peoi)le of Ilayti, the generals and commanders of the army
signed and promulgated a formal declaration of inde[>endence.
That declaration contained an express renunciation of the autho-
rity of France. The snbsc ribers swore one to the other to pos-
terity, and to the world, that they would die rather than submit
to European domination.

The solemn act was in ever}' way proper and praiseworthr.
But who was to be at the head of the new commonwealth ? That

TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTIJRE. 291

the great actors on the occasion were military men, was more to
be regretted than blamed in a people whose army had won liberty
by their swords, and who were totally untrained to the procedures,
usages, and authority of civil society. But lamentable was it that
all those brave men should be willing or should be compelled to
bend the knee to the ruffian spirit of Dessalines. Jean-Jacques
Dessalines, - however, was appointed Governor-general for life.
Still more, the island just redeemed from bondage, even while
proclaiming liberty, took to itself a new master, and gave to that
ferocious soldier the power to establish laws, to declare war, to
make peace, and even to appoint his successor. Little need we
wonder if forthwith we find this Governor-general offering to our
eyes the prototype of the President of the French Republic, who,
from bloodshed and tyranny, has recently vaulted into an imperial
throne. In one respect, history is only a series of repetitions.
Ignorance, passion, and blind self-interest have ever been the
prolific parents of servitude and despotism.

Having, by a show of mildness, gained the advantage which he
sought, of securing time for affairs to settle, for the increase of
his forces, and the acquisition of power, Dessalines, a few weeks
after his a[)poiutment as Governor for life, threw aside the mask,
and raised the cry of " Hayti for the Haytians,'* thinking by pro-
scribing foreigners he should most effectually consolidate his own
authority. For the furtherance of his self-aggrandisement, he
published a proclamation, in which he said —

*' Is it enough to have driven from our country the barbarians,
who for ages have covered it with blood? It is not sufficient
to have put down the successive factions who, in turn, have
sported with the phantom of liberty which France put before
their eyes. It has become necessary, by a final act of national
authority, to secure the permanent empire of liberty in this
country, which is our patrimony and our conquest. It is neces-
sary to remove from that inhuman government which hitherto
has held our minds in a state of humiliating torpor, every hope
of being able again to make us slaves. The generals who led
your forces against the tyranny, have not done enough. The

v2

292 THB LIFE OF

French name still prevails in all places. Every object recalb the
cruelties of that barbarous people. Our laws, our castomfl^ ov
dties — in a word, eyerjthing bears the impress of France. Wliat
do I say? There yet remain Frenchmen in oar island. For
fourteen years, victims of our credulity and our toleration; con-
quered, not by the French armies, but by the artificial eloqncnee
of the proclamations of their agents, when shall we be tired of
breathing the same air as they? What have we in common witk
that sanguinary people? Their cruelty, compared with our
moderation, their colour compared with our colour, the extent of
ocean which separates us, our avenging climate— everything shows
that they are not our brethren; that they will never be so; and
if they find an asylum amongst us, they will become the instiga-
tors of troubles and divisions. Citizens — men, women, children^
and old men, cast your eyes around you over this island ; seek for
your wives, your husbands, your brothers, your sisters — what do
I say / seek for your infants, your infants at the breast, what has
become of them ? Instead of those interesting victims, the eye
sees only their assassins ; tigers, still covered with blood, whose
frightful presence reproaches you with your insensibility, and with
your slowness to punish them. Why do you delay to appease
their shades ? Do you hope that your remains will rest in peace
by the side of those of your fathers, if you do not banish tyranny?
Will you go down into your graves without liaving avenged
them? Tlieir l)ones will repel yours. And you, brave race,
intrepid warriors, who, insensible to your private ills, have given
life to freedom, by shedding your blood, know that you have done
nothing, if you do not give to the world a terrible but just
example of the vengeance which ought to be exerted by a brave
people that has recovered its liberty, and is resolved to maintain
it. Let us astound those who would dare to try to rob us of it
again; let us begin with the French; let them tremble in ap-
l)rciiching our shores, if not at the recital of the cruelties which
they have committed, at least at the terrible resolution we are
about to fonn, to devote to death every Frenchman who shall
dare to stain with his sacrilegious steps this land of liberty.
Blaves — leave that odious epithet to the French nation ; they

ToussAiNT l'ouvertuhe. 293

deserve to be no longer free. Let us follow other footsteps ; let
us imitate other nations, who, directing their eyes into the future,
and fearing to leave to posterity an example of cowardice, have
preferred extermination, rather than to be struck out alive from
the list of nations. Let us meanwhile be on our guard, lest a
spirit of proselytism destroy our work. Let our neighbours live
in peace; peace with our neighbours; but cursed be the French
name ; eternal hatred to France ! Such are our principles. Let
us swear to live free and independent, and to prefer death to
slavery. Let us swear to pursue for ever the traitors and the
enemies of our independence."

It cannot be denied that the prospect, however faint, of an-
other effort on the part of France to subjugate and enslave the
island — a prospect kept constantly before the eyes of the Haytian
leaders, by the intrigues and entreaties of the colonists in Paris —
offers some reason, if it affords no excuse, for the ferocity of this
authoritative document; nor is it impossible that the stratagems
put in play to operate on the French government, may have been
viewed with approbation, if they were not secretly supported, by
sympathisers in Saint Domingo. Still Dessalines was under a
solemn pledge to respect the persons and the property of the
French residents ; and if any of them were, on valid grounds,
suspected of tampering with the liberty of their fellow-citizens,
they should have been prosecuted, and on being convicted, duly
punished. But it may be doubted whether the fear of invasion,
and the fear of internal treachery, were anything more than idle,
or, at any rate, welcome pretexts for commencing a system of
terror which Dessalines intended, and expected to turn to his own
account.

The instigations employed by Dessalines to rouse the people to
revenge, produced less effect than their author anticipated, for
the army, as well as the inhabitants, were weary of bloodshed.
In consequence, he resolved to accomplish his sanguinary designs
by a military expedition. Traversing the towns where French^
men had remained, the monster put all to the sword, with a few
exceptions, spared by acts of special grace. At the Cape, where

294 THE LiFZ or

the trageilj was enacted on the night of the 20th of AprO, the
massacre was general ; only about one-tenth of the inhabituiti
escaped. One fact brands Dessalines with perfidy as well as nzth-
lessness. A proclamation was published in the journals, dedar-
ing that the vengeance due to the crimes of the Frendi had been
sufficieutlj exacted, and inviting all those who had surviTed the
butcher}', to appear in the public square, that they might receive
certificates of protection. Many came forth from their hiding
places ; immediately they were hurried to the place of execution,
and shot.

The vindictive measures of Dessalines were far from hmng
generally approved, even among his companions in arms. Chris-
tophc condemned them, but from a regard to his own safety, held
his peace. Dessalines, however, took credit for the course he
pursued, as appears from the following words, borrowed from a
proclamation which he issued : —

"Crimes the most atrocious — crimes till then unknown —
crimes which make human nature shudder — were committed by
the French.

" At last the hour of vengeance has come, and the implacable
enemies of the rights of man have received the punishment they
deser\'ed. My arm, raiseil above their heads, too long hesitated
to strike. At that signal which the justice of Grod called forth,
your hand, sternly armed, applied the axe to the root of slavery
and prejudice. In vain had time, and still more, the infernal
policy of Europeans, surrounded the tree with triple brass : you
tore off the covering, which you placed in your hearts, and, like
your enemies, you became cruel and jntiless.

" As an overflo>viug torrent, which breaks down whatever it
meets with in its course, so your avenging fury bore away every
obstacle. Let them jKirish — all the tyrants of innocence, all the
opi)rcssor8 of the human species I

" What ! bowed down for centuries under a yoke of iron, play-
things of the passions and of the injustice of men, and of the
caprices of fortune; mutilated victims of the cupidity of the
French ; — after having, >vith unexampled patience and resigna-

TOussAiNT l'ouverture. S95

tion, enriclied tbose insatiable oppressors by means of our labours,
we sbould liave seen tbat sacrilegious liorde make another attempt
at our destruction ; and we, whom tbey call men without energy
and without courage, should not have plunged into their heart
the dagger of despair I Intolerable. Where is the Haytian so
vile, so unworthy of his regeneration, as to think that he has not
fulfilled the decrees of heaven, in exterminating those sanguinary
tigers? If there is one such, let him fly; may insulted nature
drive him from our company — allow him to drag his infamy at
a distance from ourselves ! The air we breathe cannot suit hii
apathetic organs; it is the air of liberty, — it is pure, august^
triumphant !

" Yes ! we have given back to those anthropophagi war for
war, crime for crime, outrage for outrage. Yes ! I have saved my
country, I have avenged America ! The vow which I made in
the face of heaven and of earth, is my pride and my glory. What
to me is the opinion which will be entertained of my conduct by
my contemporaries, and by future generations ? I have done my
duty; I approve my conduct — ^that suffices.

" But the preservation of my unfortunate brethren, and the
testimony of my conscience, are not my only reward. I saw two
classes of men, bom to aid, protect, and cherish each otheri
mingled together in a part of the world, crying out for revenge,
and disputing who should strike the first blow. Blacks, and men
of colour, whom the perfidious policy of the Europeans has so
long sought to divide, you who now are xmited and form only
one family, doubtless it was necessary that your reconciliation
should be sealed with the blood of your murderers. The same
calamities hung over your proscribed heads ; the same ardour to
smite your enemies has signalized you; the same destiny is
reserved for you ; and your common interests ought in future to
reuder yon inseparable. Preserve this precious cQDcord — this
happy union ; it is the pledge of youf liberty, of your success, of
your felicity; it is the secret of being invincible.

" In order to strengthen this union, you must be reminded of
the atrocities committed against our species. The premeditated
massacre of the entire population of this island^ resolved in the

296 THE UFE OF

nlenee of the cabinet ! — the execution of this abomiiuihle project
WM imprudently proposed to me, when it had already been ooift-
menced by the French, with the calm and the serenity of a
comitenance accustomed to such crimes.

^ Quadaloupe pillaged and destroyed, its ruins yet smoking with
the blood of its children — ^the women and the old men put to the
Bword ! Pelage himself a victim of their perfidy, after haying
basely betrayed his country and his brethren ! The brave and
immortal Dclgresse, blown up with the fort which he defended,
rather than submit to their chains. Magnanimous warrior ! that
noble death, far from weakening our courage, will serve only to
augment in us the resolution to avenge tliee and to follow thee.
The deplorable destiny of our brethren scattered in Europe, and
(frightful forerunner of death) the terrible despotism exerted in
Martinique ! Unliaj»py i)eoi)le, would tliat I could fly to your
aid and break your chains! Alas, au insurmountable barrier
separates us; but perha])3 a spark of the fire which inflames us,
will kindle up in your hearts ; perhaps at the report of this revo-
lution, you, suddenly awakened from your lethargy, will, with
arms in your hands, demand your sacreil and in\4olab]e rights.

" After the terrible example which I liave given, may divine
justice sooner or later send on eaiiih men of strong minds, superior
to vulgar weakness, for the terror and the destruction of the
wicked. Tremble ! U8uri)ing tyrants, pests of the New World ;
our poniards arc sharpened, your punishment is at hand ! Sixty
thousand men equipped, hardened to war, obedient to my orders,
bum to offer a new sacrifice t<> the manes of their assassinated,
brethren. Let that nation come, if it is senseless enough^ or rash
enough to attack me. Already, at its approach, the exas|)erated
Cjcnius of Hayti, rising from the dei)ths of the ocean, shows his
threatening form ; he stirs up the waves ; he excites the temnests;
and with his puissant hand scatters and destrojrs hostile fleets.
The laws of nature obey his formidable voice — plague, famine,
fire, poison await his command. But why reckon on the aid of
the climate and the elements ? Have I forgotten that I com-
mand a people whose courage repels obstacles, and grows by
dangers ? Let those homicidal cohorts come ! I wait for them

ToussAnrr l'ouvebture. 297

with a finn foot and a calm eye. I freely resign to them the
shores and the spots where towns were ; hut woe to those who
come too near the mountains ; hetter would it have been for them
to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea, than to be torn to
pieces by the furious hands of the children of Hayti.

" War against the tyrants — always war — war till death : that
is my motto ; — Liberty, independence : that is our rallying cry.

" (Generals, officers, soldiers ; differing from him by whom I
was preceded, the ex-general Toussaint UOuverture, I have been
faithful to the promise which I made you when I took up arms
against tyranny, and as long as I live I will keep my oath.
Never shall a colonist or a European set foot on this territory
with the title of master or proprietor. This resolution shall
henceforth form the fundamental basis of our Constitution.

'' If other chiefs, after me, in following an entirely opposite
course, shall dig their graves, and that of their fellow patriots,
then you will have to accuse only the law of that destiny which
shall have prevented me from rendering my fellow citizens free
and happy. May my successors follow the plan which I have
traced for them; it is the best system to consolidate their power;
it is the greatest homage they can pay to my memory.

" As it is derogatory to my dignity to punish the innocent for
the crimes of the guilty, a liandful of whites, commendable for the
sentiments which they have always professed, and who, besides,
have sworn to live with us in the woods^ have experienced my
clemency. I direct that they be allowed to live, and that they
be not maltreated.

*^ I again command and order all the generals of the depart-
ments to give succour, protection, and encouragement, to all
neutral or allied nations, who may wish to establish commercial
relations in this island.*'

The energy of this official document is terrible. What a vol-
canic soul was that of Dessalines ! And if we are bound by every
moral consideration to reprobate its spirit in the strongest terms,
equally are we in justice bound to remember that this fury had
been sharpened and intensified in those previous conflicts in which

2dS THE LITE OF

professed Christians were the iiggprossoTS. Nor, shocking and
atrocious as is the revenge which here bums and rages, osn it be
denied that while some palliation luaj be fonnd in the prevalent
romonrs that France was about to make another and jet more
])owcrrul attempt, so fierce a resolution and so fiery a wrath coold
not be without effect in deterriug the enemj, and guaranteeing
the shores of Hayti from another series of ravages and crimes.

A small French force remained in possession of Santo Domingo;
and the S]>aniard3 who, on the evacuation of the Cape, aduiow-
ledged the new government, had, under the impulse of the priests,
been induced to break their promise of obedience to the blacks,
and to espouse the cause of France. The subjugation of Spanish
Hajrti became the supreme object of importance with Deaaalines.
A few days before he entered on the campaign intended to effect
his purpose, he publLsheil a proclamation addressed to the
Spaniards, accusing them of treason, and calling on them to
submit. " Yet a few moments, and I will ovcrwhehn the remains
of the French under the weight of my omnipotence. Spaniards!
you whom I address, because I desire to save you; you who though
guilty of desertion, may preserve your existence and find my
clemency ready to spare you, it is yet time — abjure an error wliich
may be fatal to you, break all the ties which bind you to my
enemies, if you do not wish your blood to be mingled with theirs.
I give you a fortnight from this date, to acquaint me with your
final intentions and to gather under my flag. You know what I
can do, and what I have done ; think of your preservation. lieceive
the sacred ])roinisc which I give never to make any attack against
your personal safety and interests, if you seize the opportunity of
showing yourselves worthy of being numbered among the children
of Hayti." On the 14th of May, Dessalines quitted Cap-Fran9ais,
and having traversed the western and the southern provinces,
advanced toward the east, and sat down to besiege Santo Domingo.
After abortive attempts to overcome the resistance of the citizens,
who hateil the blacks, he judgeil it advisable to retire, and returned
to Port-au-Prince. His return was soon followed by a fearful
revolution which after some months made Haj-ti an empire, and
placed on its throne one who, from the condition of a slave, had

TOussAiNT l'ouverture. 299^

raised himself to be the first magistrate of a republic, now na*
more. The coronation took place on the 8th of October, 1804,
about two months before a similar farce was enacted by Bona-
parte. Though Dessalines had waded through blood to the throne,
the clergy were among the first to salute him as emperor. The
civil ceremony was followed by a religious service ; a Te Deuin
was performed, and the new monarch led the choir, singing the
words in the strongest voice there was in his majesty's dominions.
The institution of the imperial dignity was accompanied by the
grant of a constitution, which proceeding on the basis that the
empire of Hayti was free, sovereign, and independent, proclaimed
the abolition of slavery, the equality of ranks, the authority of
the same laws for all, the inviolability of property, the loss of
civil rights by emigration, and the suspension of those rights by
bankruptcy, the exclusion of all whites, from the right of acquiring
property, except those who had been naturalized ; and the adop-
tion of the generic name of blacks, for all the subjects of Hayti,
whatever their colour. It was further declared that no one was
worthy to be a Haytian, if he was not a good father, a good son,
a good husband, and especially a good soldier. Parents were not
permitted to disinherit their children, and every citizen was
required to practise some mechanical art. The empire of Hayti,
one and indivisible, contained ten military governments, each
commanded by a general ; every commander was independent of
the rest, and was to correspond directly with the head of the
goremment, who to the title of emperor joined that of com-
mander-in-chief of the army. The last article of the constitution
stated that Dessalines, the avenger and the liberator of his
countrymen, was called to fulfil those functions, and that he would
reign under the name of Jean-Jacques the first.

The title of majesty was conferred on the new emperor as well
as on his august consort, the empress; their persons were de-
clared inviolable, and the crown elective ; but the emperor had
the right to nominate his successor among a chosen number of
candidates. The sons of the sovereign were to pass through all
the ranks of the army. Every emperor who should attach to
himself a privileged body under the name of guard of honour or

300 THE LIFE OF

any other designation, was by the fact to be regarded as at war
with the nation, and should be driven from the throney whidi
then was to be occupied by one of the councillorB of state cfaoactt
by the majority of the members of that body. The emperor had
the right to moke, approve, and publish the laws ; to appoint
and dismiss public functionaries; to direct the receipts and the
expenses of the state, and the coining of money; to make peace
and war ; to conclude treaties ; to distribute the armed force at
his pleasure : he also possessed the exclusive prerogative of
pardon.

The generals of division and of brigade were to form part of
the council of state. Besides a secretary of state, there was to
be a minister of finances and a minister of war. All persons were
encouraged to settle their diflferences by arbitration. No dominant
religion was admitted ; the liberty of worship was proclaimed ;
the state was not to take on itself the support of any religious
institution. Marriage was declared a purely civil act, and in
some cases divorce was permitted. State offences were to be
tried by a council to be named by the emperor. All i)roperty
belonging to white Frenchmen was confiscated to the state. The
houses of the citizens were pronounced inviolable.

The constitution was placed under the safeguard of the magis-
trates, of fathers, of mothers, of citizens, and of soldiers, and re-
commended to their descendants, to all the friends of liberty, to
the philanthropists of all countries, as a striking token of the
goodness of God, who in the order of his immortal decrees had
given the Haytians power to break their bonds, and make them-
selves a free, civilized, and indei)endent people. Tliis constitu-
tion which, considering its origin, contains so much that is excel-
lent, and which even the long civilize<l states of Europe might
advantageously study, was accepted by the emperor, and ordered
to be forthwith carried into execution.

The condition of the farm- labourer was the same as under the
system of Toussaiut L'Ouverture ; he laboured for wages which
were fixed at one-fourth of the produce, and that i)ro<luce was
abundant. The whip and all corporal punishments were abolished.
Idleness was regarded as a crime, but was punished only by im-

TOUSSADTT L'oUVERTURE. 301

priBonment. Two-thirds of the labour exacted under slaver}- was
the amount required under the new system. Thus the labourers
gained a diminution of one-third of their toil, while their wants-
were amply supplied. It was decreed that the black labourers-
could labour only in the divisions to which they had been afore-
time attached ; but if they had any reasons for changing, the
commissioner of the district would give them permission. The
greater number of the properties liaving been confiscated, were
in the hands of the government ; but they were let at an annual
rent, and that rent was determined according to, not the extent
of the soil, but the number of the labourers. The mulattoes,
or quarterons, children of whites and mulattoes, who were very
numerous, if they could show any relationship, whether legitimate
or not, with the old white proprietors, were allowed to inherit
their property.

The census of the inhabitants of the island in the parts subject
to Dessalines, which took place in 1805, represented the popula-
tion as then amounting to about 380,000, with about 20,000 from
various causes not included. Of these 400,000 the adult males
were only a small proportion, so much had their ranks been
thinned by war and massacre ; the majority of labourers were
women. Marriage, solemnized according to the rites of the
Roman church, was almost universal, and its duties were, in
general, well observed, in spite of the example of the emperor.
The army consisted of 15,000 men, of whom 1500 were cavalry;
they were well armed and well disciplined, but badly clothed. The
uniform was blue, turned up with red. All adult males fit for
service, were four times a year drilled during several days.
Emigration was put under the most rigorous restraints. An
effectual system of self-defence was devised and executed, with a
view to pre|)are against invasion.

In the midst of these outward and material arrangements,
edncation was not neglected. Schools were established in nearly
all the districts, and the negroes seeing what advantage was
possessed by those among them who had received instruction,
attached great importance to it, and there were few of them who
did not at least learn to read and to write.

302 THE LIFE OP

At the time of the insurrection of 1791, the emperor J<
Jacques was a slave under a black proprietor, named Desatlines^
from whom he derived his own appellation. In 1805, that man
was still alive ; he dwelt at the Cape, and witnessed the elevatkia
of his old servant to the imperial throne. He was accustomcSd
to say, that the emperor had always been ^' a headstrong dog, but
a good workman." Dessalines continued to entertain a great
esteem for him, and made him his head butler. When asked
why he had not given him a more honourable post, he replied
that no other would have pleased him so much, as he was food
of good wine, and would drink for both. The emperor, although
he had the best furnished wine-cellar in the island, drank scarcely
an}'thing but water.

Jean Jacijucs Dessalines, Emperor of Ha^'ti, was small in
person, but strongly made; of great activity, and indomitable
courage. Ke knew not how to read, but he had learned to sign
his name; as he was desirous of instruction, he employed a
reader, to whom he listened with much attention. It hcs been
affinnod that his military tiUents were superior to those of
Toussiiint L'Ouverture. However this mav be, in ail other
respects he was greatly inferior to that unfortunate chief. Though
open, afiable, and even generous, he inspired fear rather than
respect. He was remarkable for strange caprices, the evident
eflect of his personal vanity; now he was covered with embroidery
and other ornaments, and attired with magniticence ; yet often
he appeared in public in the most wretched garb. But wliat was
more siiiLCiilnr and more ridiculous, he had the ambition to be
accouiiteil an acconii)lished dancer, and always had with him a
dancing-master, who gave him lessons in his leisure moments;
nor was it possible to juiy him a more agreeable compliment than
to tell him how well he danced, though he was very unskilful in
that anmsement, in which negroes ordinarily excel. He had
daughters by his first wife, but uo sons. His last wife had been
the favourite mistress of a rich planter, from whom she had received
a superior education. iShe was one of th.^ finest negresses of the
West Indies; her character was mild, and she often employed

ToussAnn louterture. 303

her ascendancy over Dcssaliues to soften bis natural ferocity;
unhappily, she sometimes failed in her benevolent efforts.

During some time, the Emperor Jean Jacques practised the
cruelties to which his nature was prone only on the whites, but
soon he spared not even his own colour. The suspicions of a
mind disquieted as to his own authority, led him to put to death,
without any judicial formalities, citizens and soldiers. Every
effort he thus made to terminate his solicitudes, served only to
augment them. His caprices, his. atrocities, were carried to sudi
a point, that the heads of his army conspired, and suddenly, on
the 17th October, 180G, put him under arrest. In endeavouring
to escape, he received a blow, which put an end to his life, and
to the imperial government in the island of HaytL

CHAPTER II.

Feud between mulatto and negro blood, occasioning strife and political conflicta —
Christophe president and sovereign in the north — Potion president in tho
south — The two districts are united under Boycr — £ich^ — Soubuque, the
present emperor.

The framers of the constitution under which Dessalines became
the emperor of Hayti. in decreeing that the inhabitants in general
should be denominated blacJcSy made a praisew*orthy effort to
extinguish the distinctions of colour which had occasioned so much
calamity. But such distinctions are stronger than the words of
which state resolutions consist, which have little power and
<luralHlity, unless they are the embodiment not only of the
national will, but also of the national character. Unfortunately,
the distinctions in question, which rested on prejudices and anti-
pathies deeply planted in human nature, had been aggravated by
a long series of sanguinary contentions, and though now some-
wliat abated, still retained an influence both deddcd and noxious.
It was a great, however pardonable, mistake to suppose that
distinctions, which only ages, under the force of common inbtitu-
tions and good governmcut, can eOcctually obliterate, could.

304 THE LIFB OF

within a few years, and amid conflicting sodal elements, be anni-
hilated and disowned. And though their disavowal did some-
thing toward their extinction, and the coansellors who caused
that disavowal deser^-e the gratitude of the friends of humanilj,
yet is there no ground for surprise, if their effort proved illusory.
How small was its immediate effect, events will speedily show.
The aristocracy of the skin retained in Hayti sufficient force to
occasion jealousies, discord, and war among those who ought to
have been united in one combined effort for the good of the
countr}'. But the mulatto blood could not brook the ascendancy
of the negro blood. Its pride and its disdain were fed by long
conflicts and inveterate animosities. Conscious of that indivi-
dual superiority which ensues fi^m a share in the influences of
civilization, the niulattoes of Ha3rti despised the untaught and the
rude crowd of black labourers by whom they were surrounded,
and felt, that in submitting to their sway, they put themselves
under the domination of a majority, whose authority lay exclu-
sively in their numbers. Their natural position, they believed, was
at the head of the Haytian government, Ck)uld they have peace-
ably taken that position, they would probably in a measure have
forgotten their own party interests, and laboured for the diffu-
sion, through the great body of the people, of the higher influences
of civilization. But there was an alternative. They might have
employed an elevated jiosition for their own exclusive aggrandise-
ment. This possibility the blacks could not disallow, the rather that
hitherto they had found in the yellow blood the most virulent of
the opponents with whom they had had to deal. Not without
reason, therefore, did they look with suspicion and jealousy on all
attempts at political elevation which were made by mulattoes.
It is even to be feared tliat the blacks, under their distrust and
fears, were much averse to the culture which education gives,
and of which the mulattoes, who possessed some tincture of
European civilization, were, in their eyes, the representatives.
Thus the progress of the island, in those arts and attainments on
which the good of society consists, was materially retarded, and
the way paved for a renewal of strife and bloodshed, with their
demoralising effects.

ToussAiNT l'ouverture. 305

On the death of Dessalines, the news of which spread joy
among the inhabitants, the supreme power naturally fell into the
hands of Christophe, who, with good reason, had long been recog*
nised as the second chief in the state. Well acquainted ^vitU
the great interests of which he undertook the care, and thoroughly
experienced in Ha3rtian warfare, Christophe, who enjoyed a high,
reputation for humanity and benevolence, and who, in addition
to the domestic virtues, was actuated by a practical sense of reli-
gion, seemed to possess the best guarantees for a useful, if not a
happy, career. Free from the vanity of his predecessor, he dis-
<»Lrded the pompous title of Emperor, and took that of Chief
Governor of HaytL With befitting sagacity, he began his sway
by directing his attention to the encouragement of agriculture
and commerce. Specially desirous was he to see in his [K>rts the
merchant vessels of distant nations, and with that view he, on the
24th of October, 1806, put forth a proclamation, in wliich he
promised neutral powers protection and favour.

While engaged in peaceful improvements, he suddenly found
himself necessitated to prepare for war. The old feud between
the negro and the mulatto blood broke out afresh. Unable to
endure the supremacy of a negro who had been a slave, the
mulatto Potion resolved to put forward his claim to political
power and dignity. P6tion possessed superior advantages.
Having been educajbed in the military school of Paris, he was
esteemed for his knowledge, and accounted the best engineer
officer in the native forces. Christophe himself entertained a high
opinion of his military abilities. The two competitors had re-
course to arms. A battle was fought on the 1st of January,
1807, which issued in the defeat of P6tion. His successful rival
pursued him to the gates of Port-au-Prince, his head-quarters.
Hoping to complete his triumph, and so to consolidate his power,
Christophe undertook the siege of that city, but was compelled
to retire without effecting its capture. The hostilities led to
little else than the enfeeblement of both parties. The black chief,
however, established his power on solid foundations in the north,
while Petion succeeded in retaining a firm position in the south.
Thus was the island once more unhappily divided between two

X

806 THE LIFE OF

antborities, each of which watched its opportunity for the over-
throw of the other.

The war in which he had been engaged, and in which he had
gained only partial success, made Christophe feel the necessity of
augmenting his strength. The progress which he had made
over the north, with a view to the assertion and establishment of
his authority, had revived in him the knowledge that the negro
character is by nature predisposed in favour of the monarchical
form of government. He resolved, therefore, to take a step in
that direction. On his return to Cap Francois he assembled a
council, composed of generals and the principal citizens. On the
17th of February, 1807, that council decreed a new Constitution.
At its head was Christophe, with the title of President. The
office was for life, and carried with it the right to select, among
the general officers of the State, a successor. The constitution
abolished slavery, declaring every individual free that resided in
Hayti. The Eoman Catholic religion was established, with tolera-
tion of every other form of worship. Schools were opened in
every district. Arrangements were also made for the adminis-
tration of justice, the encouragement of agriculture and commerce,
and the security of the neighbouring colonics.

The time occupied by these regulations was employed by P6tion
in making preparations for a renewal of active operations in the
field, while Christophe, on his side, was firmly resolved to extend his
rule over the whole island. Soon was the countiy again rent and
torn by intestine war. The conflict was long and dubious. Now
the one chief, now the other, gained the advantage. Every defeat
and every victory seemed to serve only to augment the fury and
confirm the determination of both. During the collisions the
country at large suffered greatly. Agriculture was hindered or
arrested. Education was suspended. Wealth, instead of grow-
ing, decreased, and seemed likely to vanish. The two com-
batants became weary of a strife in which victory was baneful to
the land over which they aspired to rule. At leng^ the reduc-
tion of M61e Saint Nicholas by Christophe, a decisive blow to his
competitor, put a period to the destructive hostilities, and afforded
to the island time and scope to recover from its losses. The war

TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTUliB. 307

was ended, but not the division. The two chie& withdrew into
their respective territories.

The time had now arrived when Christophe judged it desirable
to complete his plan of self-elevation. In the spring of 1811 he
assumed the title of King, with the almost unanimous consent,
not only of the populace, but also of his chief men. He made
Cap Francois the capital of his dominions, and proceeded to
surround himself with all the pomp and parade of feudal rojaltj.

Meanwhile, Rigaud, having escaped from prison, landed in
Hayti, and offered his co-operation to Petion. It was eagerly
accepted. But jealousy soon separated the two mulattoes, and
Bigaud, having been appointed Petion's commander in the south,
retained his authority, and so gave rise to three rival powers ia
the island. Resolved to profit by this division, Christophe
inarched against Potion ; but the common danger brought about
a union, and Christophe judged it prudent to retire. The peril
over, the two men of colour again quarrelled. The city of Cayes
was urged into revolt against Rigaud, who, in attempting to bring
it back to obedience, lost his life. His rights, such as they were,
fell to the share of his general, Borgella. ' Petion was about to
take measures to dispossess him, when the unexpected approach
of Christophe effected a reconciliation. The sable monarch, how-
ever, was driven back by Borgella, who now fought on the side of
Potion, aided by the mulatto general, Boyer, who is about to
appear on the scene as the principal character.

With these events the conflict between the north and the
south may be said to have terminated. As soon as his mind was
free from the cares of warfare, P6tion, at the head of a republic in
the south, applied all his powers, and not without effect, to
the improvement of the condition of those whom he governed.
Accessible and courteous to all, wliile Christophe affected grandeur
and distance, Petion gained general good-will, and turned hin
influence to account for the amelioration of his territories and the
consolidation of his power. Labouring indefatigably, he did his
utmost to ensure the due cultivation of the land, to administer
justice, and to promote order. He was rewarded with great
success, and came to be loved and revered; but he found his task

x2

908 TEE LIFE OF

one of great difficulty, and partly from want of power to giTe
effect to his own yiews, and partly owing to prevalent ignoranee
and grossnesa of manners, he was often impeded in his effi>rtB and
frustrated in his hopes.

France had never given up the hope of resuming possession ot
HaytL During the wars of the empire she had other occupation
for her resources. But when Bonaparte had fallen, the old
colonists recovered their hopes and resumed their efforts. Thej
succeeded in getting a commission appointed. The report was so
favourable as to throw the planters into a transport of joy. In
1814, three commissioners were sent to the West Indies, who
were directed to transmit to the French Government the result
of their inquiries relative to the condition of Hayti. Lavayasse^
who was at its head, made overtures to Christophe and Petion.
From the former he received an indignant repulse; with the
latter he succeeded in gaining an iuter\'iew at Port-au-Prince.
The commissioner, with very ample promises, invited the president
to recognise Louis XVI IL The propositious were rejected.
Disap))oiuted in these pacific eflbrts, the colonists clamoured for
war. Preparations were made, and a ileet was to sail in the
spring of the year 181*'). But before the time came Bonaparte
was at large, and prei)arations for the battle of Waterloo absorbed
all minds. Anxious to obtain all possible aid, that adventurer
adapted his policy to his condition, and having once done his best
to perpetuate slaver}', he now decreed the abolition of the in-
famous traffic in human bodies and souls ; and at the same time
sent to Ha}'ti propositions intended to win back the island. He
retained the sceptre too short a time to receive a reply. As soon
as the Bourbons were a^in restored, the colonists renewed their
intri;j;ues. In the middle of the year 181(3 they succeeded in
obtaining the appointment of commissioners, who were to assume
tlie civil and military government of the island, tacitly super-
seding the actual authorities. They sailed to Hayti, and made
an attempt to obtain a hearing, but in vain ; they returned to
France only to show how fruitless their mission had proved.

The unhesitating rejection of these overtures from France was
the last important act performed by Petion. That chief had long

ToirssAiNT l'ouverturk. 309

been droopiog under the combined effects of disease and dm*
appointment ; his depression was witnessed by those whom he
governed with sympathy and regret. Every means was taken to
give his mind relief. But the disorder grew worse : he became
suspicious, fancied conspiracies, distrusted his best friends, looked
on the past with regret, and feared to encounter the future. In this
melancholy, he finally put an end to his existence by voluntarily
abstaining from food. He expired on the 29th of March, 1818,
at the age of forty-eight, appointing, with geneitd approbation,
Jean-Pierre Boyer as his successor. His death occasioned general
sorrow.

Jean-Pierre Boyer, a mulatto, bom at Port-au-Prince on the 2nd
of February, 1776, received in Paris the advantages of European,
culture; fought under Rigaud against Toussaint L*Ouverture;
and in consequence of the success which the black leader ob-
tained, quitted the island. Boyer returned to Hayti in Leclerc*8
expedition; he, however, separated from the French General-in-
chief, and placed himself at the head of his own colour. Together
with Pc*tion, he kept quiet in order to husband his strength,
while Dessalines was expelling the French from the island. But
when, on the death of Dessalines, Christophe, already master of
the north, sought to take the south out of Potion's hands, Boyer
aided his fellow-mulatto to withstand the black ruler. Gratitude,,
as well as a regard to the common security, gave Boyer the
President's chair on the death of Potion. Raised to that dignity,
he employed his power and his energies to complete those econo*
mical and administrative reforms with which he had already been
connected under his predecessor. To labour for the public good
was the end of his life. In this worthy enterprise he was greatly
assisted no less by his knowledge than his moderation. Well
acquainted with the negro and mulatto character, and conversant
with all the interests of the state, he had it in his power to effect
his purposes by mild as well as judicious measures. Yet were
the wounds deep which he had to heal; and he could accomplish
in a brief period only a small part of that which it will require
generations to ccrry to perfection.

While Boyer, with determination and firmness, and with th^

310 THE LIFE OF

aid of superior mcD, was promoting the improvement of his
republic, Christophe had painful experience tliat a crown is no
protection against either internal or external troubles. His aob-
jects began to find that the glitter of court appard and high-
sounding names is soon tarnished, and affords a poor repayment
for its cost. The monarch was struck with paralvsis, and con-
fined within the Chateau de Sans-Souci, his favourite residence.
What to him appeared a trifling incident occasioned his over-
throw and death. An order for the degradation of a colonel
who was loved by his soldiers caused the garrison of Saint Marc,
consisting of GOOO men, to break out into revolt. On hearing of
the insurrection, Christophe commanded 12,000 men to mardi
against the revolters ; but those troops themselves proved hostOe
to their sovereign. The only force on whose fidelity he could
count was his own Iwdy-guard. Them he reviewed as he lay in
his litter; and having bestowed on each a gift of four dollars, he
despatched them against the rebels. Midway tliey encountered
the enemy, who came on with shouts of "Liberty for cverT
"Whether this cry captivated their minds, or whether they were
impressed with the inutility of opposition, Christophe's guard
joined the soldiers of the Cape, and in one body marched against
the residence of their former master. A report of the defection
reached Sans-Souci before their arrival. As soon as it had come
to the ears of Christophe, feigning to need repose, he withdrew
into his chamber. Then he called his i^ife and liis children, who
ranged themselves around the bed on which he sat He gave
caresses to his daughters, asked for some linen, threw a mournful
look on his son, and, without uttering another word, made a sig^
for all to retire. Tlien, having obtained some water, he washed
his hands and his arms, as if he wished to purify himself, changed
his clothes, covered his head with a handkerchief, and dismi^ed
his servants. They had not yet shut the door, when they heard
the report of a pistol. Returning into the room, they found
Christoi)he dead ; the ball had gone through his heart. His body
was conveyed away by some soldiers to whom it i^'as entrusted
by the queen, to be carried to a place which she indicated ; but
the king of Ha}ii was, a few days afterwards, found half devoured

TOussAun' l'ouveeture. 311

by beasts on the edge of a forest, where he had been thrown
without sepulture. Thus perished Henri, king of Hayti, after a
a reign of nine years (1811 — 20).

Christophe was fifty-three years of age at the time of his death.
He was a man of pure morals and cold in manner, who gave
observers the idea of more depth of thought than he really pos-
sessed. English and French authorities have differed in regard
to his character. The English, whose nation and commerce he
favoured, have represented him not only as a man of the highest
genius, but also as a monarch equally vrise and just Others
have striven to set him forth as a sanguinary tyrant, and have
found the cause of his downfal in the excess of liis cruelties.
Both views are exaggerations. With a mind little capable of
continuous thought, Christophe possessed a strong and obstinate
will. When once he had gained an elevated position, he mani-
fested great energy of character. Having attained to the supreme
power of a throne, he found himself placed between the exertion
of absolute authority which he was compelled to maintain, and
the necessity of improving the people, that they might take rank
among the civilized nations of the world. The two duties were
not easily reconciled. Anxious to augment by commerce the
material strength of hia dominions, and to develop its moral
power by education, he imposed on the emancipated blacks a
labour not unlike that of the days of their servitude, and called
forth intelligence in the minds of a half-brutish people. The
consequence was inevitable. Eigour produced discontent, and
discontent received power from knowledge. Under the combined
influence, Christophe fell. His life was not spent in vain. Not
only did he render important services in the war of liberation,
but even by his severity he compelled that industry to which
negroes in their own climes are indisposed, and without which
steady and continued progress in civilization is impossible.

On the cessation of the reign of Henri I., as Christophe was
termed, General Paul Romain, Prince of Limb6, put himself at
the head of affairs, and proclaimed a republic, while others de-
clared in favour of Christophers son. On the 15th October, 1821»
the north and the north-west of Hayti formed themselves into a

312 THE UF£ OF

commonwealth, of which Paul Romain was nominated IVendent^
The chiefs of this government transmitted to Bojer the con-
stituent act of their organization. Boyer sent it back nBfead,
and refused all aid so long as the north should keep 8ep«nate
from the south. This state of division did not last long. On the
21st of Octoher, Boyer took possession of Gronaives without re-
sistance. The next day he marched on the Cape, where the eren-
ing hefore, the principal inhabitants had met together to make
preparations for his reception. He entered the city at the head
of 20^000 men, and on the 26th was proclaimed Preadent. In
the commencement of the year 1822, the Spanish part of the
island acceded, of its own accord, to the new republic, and thus
from Cape Tiburon to Cape Engano, Hayti was |)eaoefully settled
under one government

While Hayti was thus making progress toward material pros-
perity, and preparing the way for rising from the bottom of the
sink of human culture, its old enemies, the colonists, never ceased
to put forward and enfoijce their claims. Abortive negotiations
were the consequence. At length, in 1825, after the recognition
of the inde|>endencc of Hayti by others, the French, under
Charles X., suid to its inhabitants the rights which they had won
by their swords, for the sum of 150,000,000 of francs, to be
p(ud as an indemnity to the colonists.

The form in which this act of emancipation was obtained,
dietate<l by the historical claims and usages of the French
monarchy, displeased the people ; that displeasure was augmented
by the large sum of money which they would have to pay to the
planters. " Had not their enemies," they asked, " already ex-
acted enough from them ? Must they continue to labour for men
who had ever shown the most embittered opposition to their in-
terests ? " Boyer's colour awakened distrust. " What is this
ordinance," they said, " but an averment of the right divine of
French despotism ; and what is our acceptance of it but an
acknowledgment of French sovereignty ? We are betrayed by
our old foes, the men of colour. We must withstand the predo-
minant influence of mulatto blood." This jealousy tlirew serioiut
obstacles in Boyer's path. His refomiator)- measures were

TOUSSAINT l'OUVERTURE. 813

detracted His efforts to promote agriculture, on which de-
pended alike the wealth and the civilization of the country,
encountered resistance, as if they were designed for the gradual
i«storation of slavery. The civilizing influences which his own
culture and the good of the country equally demanded, were
withstood by the brutishness of a suspicious Africanism which
was indisposed to learn, to labour, and to obey. One consequence
of these oppositions was inaction on the part of the Government.
Boyer's reign has been characterized as " a long slmnber.** Cer-
tainly his power for good was curtailed, and he found that the
less he attempted, the more was he at his ease. Of course under
s sjTstem of comparative neglect the island made little progress.
Large portions of the country fell out of culture, for life is easily
supported in the West Indies ; and in the decline of industry,
education made little way. Thus did the prejudices of colour
still prove adverse to the real good of the island. Nevertheless,
Boyer had on his side powerful allies — ^peace and time. Twenty
years of tranquillity had so softened men's minds that robbery
and murder were unknown. The pacific contact of the two
castes in a measure produced their fusion ; the black party with
its extreme opinions daily grew less as fathers and grandfathers
passed into the grave ; and Boyer and the intelligent men whom
he had around him, hoped that the time had arrived when they
could efiectually put an end to barbarism.

But a young party made its appearance, a party of progress as
it was called, but really a party of extravagance. The new gene-
ration, filled with extreme democratic ideas, accused the President
and his government with encouraging the very brutishness which
fhey were labouring to put away. Impatient of the slow move-
ment of the country which Boyer had been compelled to accept,
and which he would have gladly accelerated, the heady reformers
were loud and bold in demanding changes, for which the people
were unfitted, and which could end in nothing but disappoint-
ment. That a nation is not born in a day, is a truth of which
they knew nothing. It was to no purpose that the Pi evident
pointed out to these ardent reformers whose leaders were men of
.mulatto blood, and possessed of some culture, that they were

314 THE LIFE OF

endangering the public weal by awakening the passions of tb«
ignorant populace. Tlie suggestion indicated fear on the part of
the Government. The opposition then was likely to prove sue-
<;essful. Africanism, too, learned that it was feared, and hence rose
into a more threatening attitude. How formidable it might prove
was seen in the devastations which it committed in the dtj, when,
in 1842, the Cape was laid in ruins by an earthquake, and one half
of its inhabitants were destroyed. The population of the country
rushed into the town, and spent a fortnight in pillage and plunder;
saying to the ruined proprietors : " It is the good Gk>d that gives
us this ; yesterday was your day ; to-day is ours." The opposition
made i^ appearance in the legislative hall. It was driven thence
by tife force of coups-cTetcU. It revived in the country in the
form of conspiracy. The conspirators gathered aroimd an ambi-
tious man of small ability, H^rard-Rividre, a commander of
artillery, who was put forward by an ambitious man of talent,
Herard>DumesIe. A manifesto was sent forth, in which H6rard-
Riviere was placed at the head of the executive government.
Fighting ensued. Boyer, in disgust, quitted the island (13th
March, 1843), and embarked for Jamaica^ after taking leave of
the inhabitants in language which did not want dignity.

After the departure of President Boyer, various pretenders to
the supreme authority came forward, and for a time disorders
more or less prevailed. These disorders were not whoUy without
advantage. Aroimd Guerrier gathered sympathies in favour of
national unity ; Accaan united men in a common effort of defence ;
and Pierrot strengthened the feeling of a common need of concilia-
tion and regard to law. Hence an important fact came ittto
view, namely that the moral, economical, and political fusion of
the two colours was not only not impossible but in part
accomplished. The great question now was to find a man capable
of developing the consequences of this new state of things, a man
who should unite in his policy the good qualities of the system
of Christophe with that of Potion and Boyer, and who, energetic
like the former, should be humane, liberal, and civilizing, like the
two latter. The. national sentiment looked to General Rich6 and
made no mistake. Uniting to the ascendancy which he derived

TorasAiNT l'ouvebtuke. 315

from Lis skin,* the intelligence and almost the instruction of the
mulatto chiefs, Richc for a moment realized the ideal of a
Haytian government. He repressed the barbarous element with-
out at the same time crushing the element of culture, and he had
both the power and the will, to open the country to foreign capital,
and to organize native labour. Ue had done little more than
enter on these important improvements, when he was carried off
by a sudden malady, universally regretted, two days previous to
the first anniversary of his elevation. Public opinion designated
as his successor the black Grenerals Paul and Souffrant, who
appeared equally desirous and equally able to continue the policy
of Rich6. The Senate, whose duty it was to elect the president,
was divided between the two competitors, when a third eAs^
didate was proposed, who was elected on the very ground thil
as no one thought of him, no one offered him opposition. On
the 1st of March, 1847, General Faustin Soulouque, the present
ruler of Hayti, was appointed its president.

Soulouque was a large, good-natured negro, who, from the
year 1804, when he was the house-servant of General Lamarre,
had passed through all the events of his country without leaving
any trace of himself whether good or bad. In 1810 Lamarre was
killed, while defending the Mole against Christophe, and Soulouque,
who had become his master's aide-de-camp, was charged to carry
his heart to Petion. The latter made him lieutenant in his
mounted guard, and bequeathed him afterwards to Boyer, as a
piece of furniture belonging to the presidential palace. In his
turn Boyer appointed him captain, and attached him in particular
to the service of Mademoiselle Joute, who had been the lady
president of two successive presidents. From that time imtil 1843,
Soulouque had remained completely forgotten ; thenceforward
every change made him more prominent. Under H^rard he
became a chief of squadron, under Guerrier, a colonel, and under
Bich6, a general and superior commander of the palace guard. The
new president was, at his election, two-and-sixty years old, though
he did not seem to be more than forty. The negro peculiarities of

* £ich6 was what is called a griffe — that is, though he hftd whito blood in his
Tciju, he was, in appearance, in no way distinguished £rom a black.

316 THE UFK OF

feature appear in him in a subdued form. His ejes bare a nflcE
aspect. The general expression of his countenance is placid.
He manifested singular timidity when he entered on his dignified
office, and really possessed a modesty which subsequent erents
have done much to wear away. In Souiouque the inferior element
of Haytian life has its representative and its encouragement.
Grossly ignorant, he is also absurdly superstitious. His Tanity
exceeds all bounds, and led him in the year 1849 to assume the
title of Emperor. In this silly step he took for his model Napo-
leon Bonaparte, according to whose court and camp Soulomiue'
formed his own. The details are too tri\ial to deser\'e enumera-
tion. Only let not the folly be imputed to the hue of Souiouque*^
skin. If Ha}-ti has its emperor, that sovereign borrowed the idea
from France.

CHAPTER III.

C05CLU8IOS.

My narrative has come to a close. In looking back on the scries
of events of which I have spoken, I am impressed with the neces-
sity of guarding against two extremes. Of these, the one degrades
the African to the level of the bnite ; the other sets him on an
equality with the Caucasian. The negro is a man ; equally is it
true that the negro race is inferior to the highest style of man.
Individuals belonging to that race have risen very high in the
scale of civilized life. Toussain t L*Ou verturc commands our rcsiH*ct
and admiration. But the race at large cannot l>e accounted Qt[\m\
to some others, if only because as yet it has no history. Qualities
there are in the negro blood of a very valuable nature. Pcai-
linrly is it favourable to the development of the domestic affec-
tions. It involves a strong attachment to place as well as kindred.
But the ver\' excess of its emotional nature unfits it for clcvateil
thought, continuous industry* and lofty achievement. It is no
<lisparagement to the Africans to siiy that they liave realized but

TOUSBAINT L'OUVEBTURK. 317

a small amount of social good in the Island of Hajti, since the
outbreak of its insurrectionary movements. With its legacy of
slavery degradations, envenomed prejudices, conflicting interests,
and sanguinary wars, the island, within the last seventy years, has
had a most rugged and perilous path to tread, in which it may
be safely affirmed, the most cultivated of European nations would
have experienced great difficulty to hold itself erect And after
what, in this old world of ours, we witnessed in the year 1848,
we surely have no right to be severe in our judgment, even of the
Emperor Soulouque. There is, however, in the preceding history
— ^in the patriotism of Toussaint, in the firmness of Christophe,
iu the moderation of Boycr, and in the wisdom of Rich6, with the
good results of which those eminent rulers were severally and
unitedly the authors, — there is enough to assure the impartial, that
in dark-coloured blood there is no incapacity for cither govern-
ment or social and civilized life, and to inspire and warrant the
hope, that Hayti will gradually, if slowly, rise to take a position
among the first nations of the earth.

Before the sixteenth century, the African races were little
known in the Christian world. Since then they have been brought
into close contact with white men. A fusion has ensued. That
fusion in Hayti has gone far to render pure African blood some-
wliat rare. A similar restdt is rapidly taking place in the United
States. In this intermingling of two diverse streams. Providence
seems to intend the improvement of both. The union involves
the personal freedom and the social elevation of the blacks. It
will also in time issue in a higher moral culture on the part of
the whites. We shall learn to do justly by the weak; they will
be aided to rise out of an existence little more than sensuous ;
while, iu cases in which the two streams flow together in the
Kame veins, the black may obtain nerve and hardihood, and the
white may he enriched and mellowed.

Between two parties who may thus confer benefits on each
other, there is no reason, and ought to be no room, for preju-
dice and misunderstanding. Children of the same great and
good Parent, and objects of the same redeeming love, they have
each a work on earth to perform, they have each a mind to culti-

318 THE LIFE OP TOUSSAINT l'oUYEBTUBE.

vate and a soul to save, and can gain the approbation of their
Creator and their Saviour, only so &r as they interchange succour
and promote conunon good, and aid and forward the grand drama
of human life.

Persons who view great social questions in their bearing on
material interests, will be disposed to inquire what has been the
result of emancipation in Hayti on the products and commerce
of the island. Statistical evidence shows a considerable diminu-
tion. If that diminution is real, it is the measure of relief from
labour which his freedom has brought to the slave ; it is more —
it is the measure of his lessened punishments and his lessened
sufferings. And if the negro can with little labour supply all the
wants of which he is sensible, who has a right to augment his toil
by compulsion 1 If our stock of sugar is less, it is an ample
compensation to feel that the amount of human happiness is
more ; and if the negro is content, let us show our dissatis&ction,
not by coercing him, but by raising him by gentle, persuasive,
and attractive means to feel and acknowledge other and higher
wants ; and then, of his own accord, he will impose on himself
additional labour. Should he, however, continue to prefer his
native banian, with ease and repose, to our beef, purchasable only
by long and severe toil, I see no ground whatever on which we
may justifiably interfere with his mode of life, still less why we
are at liberty to compel him to toil for our pleasure or our
advantage.

NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

I

NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

Note A.

ON THE COLOUBED POPULATIOK.

ColouTod popalation means some^mes the collective maus of blackn and of
coloored men ; bnt we more frequently midentand by the words, coloured
population, coloured ceute, coloured people, coloured men, those who aro V .

neither black nor white; we also give them the general denomination of the
mixed races.

The oollectiye or particular acceptation of coloured population derives its
signification from the phrase in which it is used.

M. Moreau de Saint-M^y, in developing the system of Franklin, has
dasaed under general heads the difierent shades whidi the mixed population
of colour present.

He supposes that man altogether Ibrms 128 shades, which are white
among the whites, and black among the blacks.

Setting out from this principle, he proves that we are so much nearer to or
farther from the one colour or tiie other, as we dther iqiproach or remove
from the number 64, which is their middle term.

According to this system, every man who has not eight shades of white, is
considered black. -• -

Proceeding from this colour towards white^ we <Ustinguish nine -pqpipp&l
utocks, which have again varieties among fttaBi, according as they 'retm&
more or less shades of the one colour or of the other.

The Sacatra

Approaches nearest to the negro, is produced u^ three different ways, and
can have from eight to sixteen shades white, an^^'ltam 112 to 180 shades
blade.

WHITE. BLACK.

The offiipring of the sacatra and the negress has 8 ... 120

The offspring of the male and fismale sacatra 16 ... 112

The ofispring of the griife and the negress ....• 16 ... 112

Y

322 NOTES AND ILLUSTBATIOK&

TheGnffe

Is the result of five cotnbinatioms and can have fitnn 24 to 32 sluMles white,
and 96 or 104 black.

WHm. BLACK.

Tlie of&priug of the marabou and the female sacatra, has S2 ... 96

The otfi^ring of the male and female (rrifie 32 ... 96

The ofispring of the negro and the female mulatto 32 ... 96

The offiipring of the negro and the female HMuraboii ... S4 ... 104

Tlie ofikpring of the grifle and the ftmale sacatra 24 ... 104

The Marabou

Hat in his fire combinations, from 40 to 48 shades white, and from 80 to
88 black.

WHITE. BLICE.

The oflrs))ring of the male and female marabou has 48 ... 80

The offspring of the qoarteron and the negre* ......... 48 ... 80

The ofijtpring of the mulatto and the female grifle 48 ... 80

The ofispriug of the mulatto and the female sacatra 40 ... 8S

Tlie offiqiring of the marabou and the female g^riflc 40 ... 88

The Mulatto,

In his twelve combinations, varic':* fiom 56 to 70 shades white, and k<vp&
from 58 to 72 of them black. Tlius, there is a mulatto such as to ap-
proach nearer to the white than any other, by 14 parts.

WHITE. BULCK.

The offspring of tlie quartcron and the female Kacatra lias . . 70 ... 58

The offfprlng of the maraalouc and the female racatra ... 6S ... 60

Tlie offtipring of the white man and the negress 64 ... 64

Tlio offspring of the nictif and tlie female sacatra 64 ... 64

Tlie offspring of the quarieron and the female griffe 64 ... 64

Tlio offbpring of the male and female mulatto 64 ... 64

Tlie offspring of the xang-mele and the ncgress 63 ... 65

The offspring of the quarteron and the negrpss 62 ... 66

Tlu» offspring of the mamclouc and the negress 60 .. 68

The ofibpring of the nictif and the ncgress 56 ... 72

TheofBtpring of the quarteron and the female sacatra ... 56 ... 72

Tlie offspring of tlu' mulatto and the female marabou ... 56 ... 72

The Quarteron.

His twenty combinations give fn)m 71 to 96 shades white, and from 32
to 57 shades black.

WHm. BLACK.

Tlie offspring of the whito man and the female mulatto has 96 ... 82

The offspring of the male and female quartonm 96 ... 32

Tlie offspring of the sanjr-mrlc and female mulatto 95 ... 33

The offspring of the qnarteron and the fbmale mulatto . 9-1' ... 34

The oflfspring of tlie mamelouc and tlie female mulatto. .. 92 ... 36

The offspring of the whit<,' man and the female marabou 88 ... 40

NOTES AND ILLUBTBATIOXS. 323

WHITE. BLACK-

Tlie ofispring of the nietif and the female mulatto 8S ... 40

The oflUpring of the sang-mel^ and the female maraboa 87 ... 41

The offi^^ning of the qoarteron and tlw 86 ... 42

The offi^pring of the mamelouc and the 84 ... 44

The offspring of the white man and the female griffe ... 80 ... 43

The offspring of the m^tif and the female marabou 80 ... 48

The offspring of the quarteron and the female mulatto. . . 80 ... 48

The offspring of the sang-mSle and the female g^ffe ... 79 ... 49

The offspring of the quarteron and the 79 ... 50

The offspring of the mamelouc and the 76 ... 62

The offspring of the white man and the female sacatra... 72 ... 56

The ofibpring of the metif and the female griffb 72 ... 56

The of&pring of the quarteron and the female marabou . 72 ... 56

The offspring of the sang-mdl^ and the female sacatra... 71 ... 57

The Mctif,

We find in lus six comlnnations from 104 to 112 shades white, and con-
aequentlj, from 16 to 24 shades bbck.

WttTTK. BLACK.

The offspring of the white man and the female quarteron 112 ... 16

Tlie ofEspring of the male and female m^tif 112 ... 16

The offipring of the sang-m^l^ and the female quarteron 111 ... 17

The of&pring of the quarteron and the 110 ... 18

The oflBipring of the mamelouc and the 110 ... 18

The oflbpring of the quarteron and the female m^if ... 104 ... 24

The Meamdouc,

The fire ways in which he is produced, stand in the relation of 116 to
120 parts white, by 8 to 16 parts black.

WHITE. BLACK.

The oflbpring of the white man and the female metif has 120 ... 8

The offi^ng of the male and female mamelouc 120 ... 8

The offspring of the sang-melc and the female m^tif ... 119 ... 9

The ofBipring of the quarteron and the 118 ... 10

The d&pring of the mamelouc and the female metif. 116 ... 12

The Qua/rteron,

His four combinations vary from 122 to 124 shades white, and from 4 to
6 ibades black.

WHITB. BLACK.

The ofi^Hring of the white man and the female mamelouc

has 124 ... 4

The offspring of the male and female quarteron 124 ... 4

The offiipring of the sang>mcl6 and the female mamelouc 123 ... 5

The offiipriiig of the quarteron and the 122 ... S

y2

324 KOTXB A2n> ILLUSTBATIOHBi

Sang-mile

Is produced in four ways ; and raries from 125 to 127 |MDrti whiter and ttom
1 to 8 black.

The ofipringof the white man and the ftmale of the

tang-mil^ hat 127 ... 1

Tlie offiipring of the white man and qnarterao 126 ... 8

The offi^ng of the male and female Mmg-mel^ 125 ••• 2

The offiipring of the «mg-mel^ and the female qaar-

tcron 125 ... S

The Mng-mc^U, hj contimung its nnkm with the whiten^ at kat
into white colour.

According to the aforenid lystem, whoerer reachei the SUi degree, fiadi
that he \uu 8191 white part* to one black part, whidi is reallj no difler^
ence, bocanne nmnhers of individoals of soathem Enrope, in Spain, in Fnh
vence, in Italy, in Turkey, and in Hungary, have in their hlood man than
16-ith part black.

Doctor Franklin was the first to conceive this system, which shows the
infinite power and goodness of the Creator ; thus the spedes always relbrming
itself l>y varieties, is renewed nt the end of a score of generations, without
retaining any of the organic elements which would debase it.

Philosophy lias made use of this observation in order to make ns com p ie-
hend the nothingness of hereditary pride. This pride makes us bdieve that
in spite of nature we retain the pure bkxxl of our ancestors to the sixteenth
generation, whereas we have only a small portion of it. It is a good or an
evil, infinitely divided in the common existence of our race. — TranHaiedJrrom
PamphiU de Lacroix.

Note R

Tlie immediate causes of the insurrection arc given by Outiave
d'Alaux in the Eectte det Deux Jfondet, voL viii. NouvcUe Feriode, pp.
776 seq.

** Tlie planters took the initiative in the revolution. Not leM devoid of
foresight than the aristocracy of the mother country, they warmly acce pt ed
und patronised the ideas which gave birth to 1789. The cnfeeblenient of
the monarchical authority, was for them the relaxation of a system wfaidi
excluded them from the high colonial positions, and forced their pride and
their liubitual despotism to bend before the discretionary power of the agents
of the mother country. Civic equality was the complete assimilation of the
colony to France, the free exerdse of the means of action which their
immense riches seemed to secure them. Without waiting for the authority
of the government, the colonists formed themselves into parochial and pro-

IrOtES ABD ILLUCTUTIORS.

33ff

tad neat tn Paria ei);htc(ii dqiatics, vhn were adiuittcd
D (itliciB M petitioner*. Mnch eicitcd by this first sntccw,
theae preteunoiu to political and adniiiuittiitive ojoality viere soon, in thi'
iM>loaiBl arUtocnic)', trancfonned iuta an avowod wUh Ibr independence. Tlte
provincial Miembli«* delegated the direction of tlie tnterior alTiiint of tlie
mlatij toaiort of convention, wliiuli met at Saint Marc, and that convuition,
in which the inflocnce of the idnoter* predominated, cleclarod tlut tbey were
CDagtitat«d in virtue of tlio puwen of /Aeir ro/xtlUueiiU, contnuy to tho
afnnkai of tlie minority, who propuml to <ay, " In virtue of the decrees of
the mother codhItj."

But by the ride of the colonial aristocracy trum the whitca of the iaferinr
and the middle cUw>, wlio in anlcntly adhering to the rcvolntionary dovlrinea
which tlioy had finuentod, intended to doducc thcivtrom all tboir logical
caosoqnenoa. Offutuled nC the disduin of the planters, thoM two clows
hwk>d ill the new iduoa the coming of civil and aucial equality, llvtwcvn
the feudal otigarchy which the planters mw in their dmuna oT inflepeiidaiM^
and a share in the conqneMa already teeliicil by the UhcraUnn of the moth^
omntry, tboic chuwa could not heritnte, tuid gave themMlrea wholly to
Franco. The provincial ajovmhly of the north, slmoit entirely componod of
lawjerK whom the convention oT Sunt Marc had alienated by certain regula-
tions tvndiug to leveii their fos, gave tho official dgnal of the reaction.
Forthwith the planters changed their tactics. They protended to renuunou
their prnjccti of independence, armed tlicmielves ogiunittha antliority of the
mother oountry wiUi demagogical ideas, and thus socoeedcd in acquiring a
Dumeroua party in the dregs of tho white population ; but Peinier, the
governor, lupported by the iiouud part of the coiunial ticn-ftat, bnilcc up
and dismised the tnsmreotionary asGeuihly of Saint Marc.

A third eleiount appeared on the scene, and took iu nf[Hrd to the whole
white papulation the part which the ticn-clat {the people) bod iu regard ti)
the planters. While the eolnniiti were disputing reiperting hberty ond
equality, the becd-invn had not kept their ««ir« closed. More than othors
they had a right to see a benefit in the revolution ; for hy tho bet that their
colour (two thlrda of them were of miicd blood), their edncation, their quality
of fite-meu and of proprietors, brouifht Il^oni into proximity to the white
caste, it was fm them ipudally that the dark snsccptibihty of adoDiol prqn-
dioo took plouRuv in making tlic demnnntion harsli and o&nsivc- The
decree of tho 8tli of Murcli, conCsrcd on them indeed political rights ; but
thiLt decree raised in all the ranks of the while pupulntioa such a condemna-
tion that the gDvemnr hinuelf coneurred in preventing its execution, in
vain the trecd-men took np arms in favour of the motlicr country in tha
itrtigglc suatwncd by the goremor agaiiut tho oolonial aristocmcy. ARer
the rtetory the garemor showed the l^tod-mcn no (hrour for thmr efliirts,
and. carried disdain so for as not to allow theui to wear tho white tuckade,
irhhh distingnislied t1iu royalist party. The mnlattoct ohandonoil that
party ; aad a new ilecree, by which the constitnent useinhly retracted the
dccrco of tho 8tli of March, completed the mpluro. Then came a thud
deem; which restored their political rights to the frced-men, and that occa-
uami fresh tcidstHnni on the port of the wlulia. Thu demagogiod party
" ■ partj, or those who w

^^ondt

326 NOm ASD ILLU8TBATIOH&

for independcnoe, oflvred the cokmy to Engluid ; the rogralkt pvty, quite ■■
lioetile to the mulattoee •■ the two athen» fimiid nothing better to IkoU the
phuten in iwpect then to oovertlj erouee the Uadn; end tte nnlBttoei^
who on their siide had made e new armed attempt to euiy o rt thev rights
ngainst the white caate, gained all the adTantage of this i nte f v e nti oa of the
fabdu, among whom they even made nnmerona recmita. In the midat of
the intricacica of the oontcBts winch ensoed, onefiMstisof ipecial conee qu eDce:
feeling thait thdr only point of support waa in the mother coonfarj, the new
otiienn (the freed-men) had the tart or the good Ikith to remain fidthlU to
her. Tlicrc thoa came a time when they became for the rrwimi a ii i a Mii
charged with the pacification of the island, that whkfa the wlute liei'i HimI
had been for Qovemor Pdnicr, namely, the only coloni^ amdUaneB vndv
French influence, no that the final triumph of the anthority of the mother
country had for a neoeMary result the prepondenmoe of the men of ookmr."

NoTB a

The follow- log is the view taken of the struggle far negro fr eedom \j
I'liKlSTOPHE, whovraA himself ooncemfd thcivir.; the passage is taken from
u iiumifeiito» published in 1814, by that warricf, then King of Hayti, and
t hn>atened with a new invasion by the whites.

** We have descn-ed the favours of liberty, by our indiasoluble attachment
to tlu> luothtT country. We have proved to ha our gratitude.

" At the time when, reduced to oiu- own private resources, cut off from all
(.communication wath France, we resisted every allurement ; when, inflexible
to menaces, deaf to propoHsls, inaccessible to artifice, we braved miserT,
famine, and privation of every kind, and finally triumphed over our cnemiea
1x>th within and without.

^We were then far firom perceiving that twelve years after, as the price
of so much perseverance, sacrifice, and blood, France would deprive as in a
most barbarous manner of tlie most precious of our possessiona— liberty.

" Under the administration of Governor-General Toussaint L'Ouverture^
Hayti arotie from her ruins, and e\'cry thing seemed to promise a happy
future. The arrival of General Hedou\'iI]o completely changed the aspect of
nfiuirs, and struck a dcailly blow to public tranquillity. We will not enter
into the detail of his intrigues with the Haytian General Rigaud, whom he
persuaded to revolt against his legitimate chief. We will only say, that
1)eforo leaving the islimd Hedouville had put every thing into confusion, by
casting among us the firebrands of discord, and lighting the tordi of civil
Mrar.

'* Ever zealous for the re-establishment of order and of peace, Toossaint*

L'Ouverturc, by a paternal government, restorcil their original energy to law,

morality, religion, education, and industry. Agriculture and commerce were

flourishing ; lie was favourable to white colonists, es^pecially to those who

occupied new possesions; and the care and jjartiality which he felt for them

SOTES XSJ> ILLUSTRATIONS. 327

went to far, tbat he was severely censored as being more attached to them
than to pe(^le of his own colour. This negro wail was not without reason;
for some months previous to the arrival of the French, he put to death his
own nephew. General Moise^ for having disregarded his orders relative to
the protection of the colonists. This act of the governor, and the great
confidence which he had in the French government, were the chief causes of
the weak resistanoe which the French met with in Hayti. In reality, his
confid^ice in that government was so great, that the general had disbanded
the g^reater part of the reg^ular troops, and employed them in the cultivation
of the groond.

" Sodi was the state of affidrs whilst the peace qC Amiens was being
negotiated : it was scarcely concluded when a powerful armament landed
on oar coasts a large army, which, attacking us by surprise, when we
thought ourselves perfectly secure, plunged us suddenly into an abyss of
evils.

" Fbsterity will find a difficulty in believing that, in so enlightened and
philosophic an age, such an abominable enterprise could possibly have been
conceived. In the midst of a civilized people, a horde of barbarians sud-
denly set out with the design of exterminating an innocent and peaceable
nation, or at least of loading them anew with the chains of national slavery.

" It was not enough that they employed violence; they also thought it
necessary to use perfidy and villany, — they were compelled to sow ^osensioa
among us. Every means was put in requisition to carry out this abominable
■cheme. The leaders of all political parties in France^ even the sons of the
governor Toussaint, were invited to take part in the expedition. They, as
well as ourselves^ were decttved by that chef-d'oeuvre of perfidy, the procla-
mation of the first consul, in which he said to us» ' You are all equal and
free before Qod and the repnblic;' such was his declaratkni, at the same
time that his private instructions to General Ledorc were to re-establish
aUnrery.

** The greater part of the population, deceived by these fiilladous promises,
and for a long time accustomed to eondder itself as French, submitted with-
out resistance. The governor so little expected the wppeenahce of an enemy,
that he had not even ordered his generab to resist in case of an attack
being made ; and when the armament arrived, he himself was on a journey
towards the eastern coast. If some few generals did resist, it was owing
only to the hostile and menacing manner in which they were summoned to
surrender, which compelled them to respect their duty, their honour, and the
present circumstances.

"After a resistance of some months, the govemor-gmeral yielded to tha
pressing entreaties and the solemn protestations of Lederc, ' that be intended
to protect the liberties of every one, and that France would never destroy
80 noble a work.' On this footing, peace was negotiated with France ; and
the governor Toussaint, laying aside his power, peaceably retired to the
retreat he had prepared for himself.

" Scarcely had the French extended their dominion over the whole island,
and that more by roguery and deceit than by force of arms, than they
began to put in execution their horrible system oif slavery and destruction.
To hasten the accomplishment of their projects, mercenary and Machia*

« I

32d HOTEB AND ILLUSTRATIOinb

vellian \rritcn fabricated fictitioas narrmtiTes, and attributed to TooHunt
dcsig^nst that be had nerer entertained. While he wai remaining jmermhtj
at homo, on the iaith of nolemn treaties, he was seued, loaded with irooi^
dnggc<1 away with the whole of hb &mi]j, and transported to Franoe. The
whole of Europe knows how he ended his nnfbrtnnate career, in torture ant
in innyer, in the dungeon of the Chateau de Joux.

** Sucli was the recompence rescnred for his attodiment to France, and for
the eminent services he had rendered to the cokmj.

"At the same time, notice was given to arrest all suspected penais
throughout the island. All those who had shown brave and enli^itcDed
souls, when we claimed for ourselves the rights of men, were the fint to he
seized. Even the traitors who had most contributed to the soooeaB ot the
French army, by serving as guides to their advanced guard, and by exciting
their compatriots to take vengeance^ were not spared. At first they denred
to sell them into strange colonies ; but as this plan did not succeed, they
resolved to transport them to France, where overpowering labour, the gaOeyik
chains, and prisons, were awaiting them.

"Then tlio white colonists, whose numbers have continually increased,
seeing tbcir power sufficiently established, discarded the mask of dianmuh-
tion, openly declared the rc-establishment of slavery, and acted in accordance
with tlieir declaration. They liad the impadence to claim as their slaves, men
who had made themselves eminent by the most brilliant services to their
country, in both the civil and military departments. Virtuous and honour-
able magistrates, warriors covered with wounds, whose blood had been
poured out for France and for hberty, were compelled to fall back into the
bonds of slaver}'. Tliese colonists, scarcely established in the possesion of
their laud, whose power was liable to be overthrown by the slightest cause,
already marked out and chose in the distance those whom they determined
should be the first victims of their vengeance.

" The proud and liberty -hating faction of the colonists, of those traflSckers
in human flesh, who, since the commencement of the revolution, had not
ceased to impregnate the successive governments in Franoe with thar pUns^
their projects, their atrocious and extravagant memorials, and everything
tending to our ruin, — ^these factioas men, tormented by the recollection of
the despotism which they had formerly exercised at Hayti, a prey to their
low and cruel ])as8ions, exerted all their efibrts to repossess themselves of the
prey which had escaped from their clutches. In favour of independence
mider the constitutional assembly, terrorists under the Jacobins, and, finally,
zealous Bonapartists, they knew how to assume the mask of any {larty, in
order to obtain place and favour. It was thus by their insidious counsels
they urged Bonaparte to undertake this iniquitous expedition to Hayti. It
was this faction who, after having advised the expedition, furnished the
pecuniary resources which were necessary, by means of subscriptions which
were at this time commenced. In a word, it w^as this faction which caused
the blood of our compatriots to flow in torrents,— which invented the
exhausting tortures to which we were subjecteil ; it is to these colonists that
France owes the loss of a powerf\il anny, which perished in the plains and
marshes of Hayti ; it is to them that sJie owes the shame of an enterpriac
which has fixed an indelible stain on the French name.

VOTES AND ILLUSTRATION& 329

** Immediately, the greater part of the people took up arms for the pre-
wrvation of life and liberty. Even this first movement alarmed the French,
and appeared to General Ledcrc so important as to cause him to smnmon a
■pecial meeting of the colonists, in order to adopt measm^s suitable to bring
alwat a better state of aflSiirs ; but these colonists, far f^m desisting fh)m
their atrodons principles, notwithstanding the imminence of the danger,
imanimodsly ezdaimed, ' If there is no slavery, there is no colony !'

" Members of the oooncil, it was in vain that wo raised our voices to
prevent the total ruin of our country ; in vain we represented to them the
liorrible injustice of again casting so many free men into slavery ; in vain
(ibr we knew the spirit of liberi^ which animated our compatriots) we
denounced this measure as the oertiun ruin of the country, and that it would
detach it for ever from France : it was all in vidn. Convinced that there
no bnger remained any hope of conciliation, and that we were compelled to
choose between slavery and death, then, with our weapons in our hands, we
nndeoeived our compatriots, whose whole attention was directed towards us,
and we unanimously seized our swords, resolved either to drive those tyrants
from the land for ever, or to die.

" General Leclerc had already announced the conquest of the island, and
had received from almost all the maritime towns of France (where resided
the chief advocates of slavery), letters of congratulation on his pretended
conquest. Ashamed of having given rise to such deceitful hopes, mortified
at not being able to achieve the detestable enterprise, and mirtrusting the
approach of another terrible war, despidr shortened his days and dragged
him down to the grave.

** Amid this long tissue of crimes which marked the administration of
General Leclerc, we will merely point out his conduct towards the Haytian
general, Maurepas, which could not but exdtc the commiseration even of
the most cold-hearted. Maurepas, a man of gentle and agreeable manners,
esteemed by his fellow-dtizens for his integrity, was one of the first to join
the French, and rendered them the most signal services. Nevertheless, he
was suddenly carried ofi" to Port-au-Prince, and taken on board the admiral's
vessel, which was then at anchor near the Cape coasts ; and then, having
been bound to the mainmast, in mockery they put two epaulettes on his
shoulders, fiistened them on by nails sucli as they use in naval carpentry,
and covered his head with a general's faiat. In this finghtftd condition,
tiiese savages, after having g^ven free vent to their ferodous joy, prcdpitatod
him, with his wife and children, into the sea. Such was the destiny of
this \drtuous though unfortunate soldier." — Hisioire de file ^Hayii, pur
Fladde Justine, p. 391— Paris, 1826.

Note D.

The eilRnts made by Cliristophe for the instruction of the people are
described in the following passages, which are laid before the leader, tfa»

330 90TE8 AND ILLUSTRATI0S8.

rathi*r bccsoso they afibrd enoouragement to thow who maj be ^ ^i ^ m*
to aid ill raising Ilayti tu its proper condition : —

** He (Christoplie) had ahready learnt, bj mflant of hk eomtpaodean
with some English gentlemen, that the Lancaiteriaii ^ffton, bongsmgnlailj
adapted to the education of yonth in the mdimenti of knowledge^ had been
acted on with great soooen in this co un try ; — ^be alio knew that » aociety
had been formed for the purpose of establisldng schools on this system, and
for preparing young men to superintend them, and it waa fhr&er stated, that
if he was desirous of introducing it into Hayti, that society would rea£ly
fumiMh him with schoohnasters duly qualified fior the work. In oon9eq[Desce
of this information, he caused an application to be made to the Britkh and
Foreign Schocd Society for sodi a number of instmctots as waa thoogbt
n ecessary to commence the undertaking; and all matters relating to their
salaries and other expenses being arranged, six teachers, who had been
previously engaged in superintending schods in England, sailed for ELajiL^

" On their arrival at (^ Francois, which was in 1816^ Ouristophe aflfasded
them every possible fodli^, and at the same time exempted than from the
disogrveable regulations to which the other white residenta were subject.
Thus encouraged, they proceeded in the prosecution of their object with
great diligence and application. Buildings were prepared under their inspec-
tion ; books, and every other necessary apparatus, were provided ; and in a
Khort time, sdiools were I'stablished at Cap Francois, St. Marc's, Gonaireifi,
and other towiut, containing nearly 2,000 pupils. In those schools, the Havtian
youth were taught reading, writing, the elements of arithmetic, and English ;
and aflor they had made considerable pn^ress in the latter, the basiness of
the school was conducted in that language. Tlie object of this regulation,
it was stated, was to introduce English into general use ; for so thoroughly
did Christophe detest the French, that he was anxious to abolish every*
thing that indicated their former possession of the island; to aooomplish
wliicli, he was determined to leave no means untried.

Among the first things which I visited, after my arrival in Hayti, was
the school established at Cap Francois. The place impropriated to this
purpose was a Urge building, situated in a retired and elevated part of the
town, and was as properly arranged and as perfectly furnished with all the
necessary api)aratus, as the best schools conducted on this system are pre-
pared in England. This school contained from one hundred and fifty to
two hundred boys, from eight to sixteen years of age. When I entered the
room, they were regularly diridcd into their classes, all busily engaged at
their lessons ; and their evident attention and application could not fiiil to
strike a visitor. The sight of so many young negroes, employed in acquiring
the rudiments of learning, would have been, to any one, as interesting as it
was novel ; to those who feel a just conccni in the welfare of the African
race, it was peculiarly so ; nor was it possible to witness it, without recol-
lecting how difterent would have been their condition had they been
enslaved, and rt»joicing at the change wliich had led to such beneficial
results.

* Soon after the schools were established in Hayti, and the utilitr of the
system began to appear, Christopho presented this society with one hundred
guineas.

NOTES A2n> ILLUSTRATIONS. 331

"The master of this school, who was an intelligent young man, had con-
ducted it from its commencement, and his ability and attention appeared
from the perfect (wder which prevailed throughout. My inquiries of him
respecting those placed under his instruction related to the following par-
ticulars: — Whether they displayed common aptness for learning; whether
tibey readily remembered what they aetjuired; and whether they were
capable of the application expected from boys in general of their age ? To
these questionB he replied, that among so great a number as were com-
mitted to his care, there were, of course, several whose incapacity prevented
them from making any great progress, but that the m^'ority learnt without
much difficulty, and many even with considerable iacili^ ; that with regard
to their memory, their gradual advancement from one branch to another,
and their readiness in recollecting small pieces of poetry or prose, which they
were oocasionally required to learn, were satisfiictory proofs of its being suffi-
ciently retentive; and at the same time adding, that they required no more
powerful tftimulus to ^iplication and diligence than is necessary for youth in
general.

'* In answer to a question respecting the general character of his pupils, he
frirthcr stated that they were far less obstinate and refractory than he had
expected to find them. The fiicility, he said, with which they became
fiuniliarized to the mechanical part of the system, was surprising; the
necessity of inflicting severe punishment, he stated, was not frequent ; if a
few were disobedient and inattentive, he observed, others were no Ims diligent
and submissive ; and pointing to the state of the school at that moment, he
hoped, he said, its order and regularity were indications of its flourishing
condition, as well as of the docility and submission of the boys.* He con-
cluded his answers by assuring mo that, on the whole, he found the young
negroes and mulattoes as apt to learn and as ready to remember as he had
found the youth of our own country.

" At this period, all the boys of the school could read and write ; many of
them were acquainted with the introductory rules of arithmetic ; and some
spoke the English language with oonnderable ease and propriety. At the
request of the master, I called several of his pupils indiscriminately, and
proposed to them questions, according to the classes in which they stood;
and the result of tUs examination was a conviction that, whatever may be
affirmed of the stupidity of the negro, he is no further inferior in intellect to
others than the system of slavery renders him. Of this I received a further
confirmation by subsequent trials. I directed a certain nimaber of these
lads to commit to memory select pieces of English and Frendi, some in
poetry and others in prose ; and promised to encourage them by bestowing
appropriate rewards on those who should repeat these pieces most readily
and correctly. At the expiration of the time appointed them for learning,
ibey each recited their respective portions with so much ease and propriety,

* Since my return to England, I have visited the central school of the British
and Foreign School Society, in the Borough-road, London; and granting, as
every one must, that it is conducted with fl^mimble order, yet I confess I could
not perceive its superiority, in point of general discipline, to that cansisting of
the Haytian youth at Cap !Fran9ois.

332 NOTES AKD ILLUSTRATIOHS.

that it was diflScult to detemuDe to whom the prins dboald be ft^odged,
and the only tatUfSM^xiry mode of arrangement a pp e a re d to be tbeft of !■•
crauting the number, so a^ to give to each boj a trifling reward. A ahoK
time afterwards, I heard them repeat the lame pieoai^ and ^bej lehennd
them with nearly the same readineai and oorrectnefli as thej bad prariaody
done.

" One of the elder boys of this scliool was particalarly pcnnted out, aa &-
tinguished from his schoolfellows by his great i^itness for learning, and ftr
tlie progress he had made in some branches not osoally included in the
lAncasterion system of e<lucation. He was nn interesting looking lad, aboet
sixteen years ^ age, and occasionally undertook, in the abaencc of the master,
the superintendence of the school. Being denrous of ascertaining the erteot
of his aapiiroments, I rcqneiited him to call at my lodgings lor the piup ose
of examining him. On his compliance with this request, I first pt o p owe d to
liim a f&v; (jueations in the Single Rule of Three : these he answered witk
perfect ease. I then proposed others in the difTemit cases of Ptactiee : these
also he performed with equal fhcility. After this I tried him in the simple
and componud rules of Vulgar and I>ecimal Fractions, and found him no les
familiar with them ; but the Siuare Root ^omcH-hat puzzled him, and in the
Culie linot, he felt totally unable to proceed. His next trial was to tram-
late a ])oragmph from one of the pieces in Enfield's Speaker into French,
which he did without much difficulty, and, as for as I was qualified to JodjETt
with a great degree of aocurocj*. He was then requested to grive in writing
a translation of a page of Ikxssnet's ' Histoire Universelle' into Englbh,
and was fumii«lic<l with a dictionary for his assistance. About this port €f
his examination, he employed considerable time, and appeared to bestow on
it s]XHnal attention and care ; lie repeatedly corrected his translation, copied
it several times before he appeared satisfied, and even then hesitated to hand
it to inc. But when completctl, it far exceeded iny expectations ; for thoi^
it containixl one or two C>allicism5, in point of sense and grammatical con-
stniction, it was remarkably correct. Finally, he pointed out, on a map, the
boundaries of the four quarters of the globe, the situation of his own country,
with its latitude ond longitude, the limits of the European notions, with their
capitals, the principal islands of lioth hemis|ihercs, and the more remarkable
mountains, gulfs, and lakes, with a readiness as surprising as it was satis-
factor}'; at the same time answering the questions pmposed to him respecting
the religious and peculiar manners and customs of different naticms with
like facility and accuracy-. During the whole time his manners were per-
fectly unassuming ; it was also evident that he liad been especially aariitfted
and encouraged, and tliat his progress was proportionably rapid and sure ;
and I confess tliat the result of this examination ofTorded me as mudi
gratification as any circumstance I witnessed during my stay in the island.

'* While the school at Cap Francis was in this flourishing condition, and
j>rcseTJtod such satisfactory proofs of the capacity and application of the
Hnytiaii youth, those established at Gonaives, St. Marc's, Fort Royal, and
at other ])laces, were, I understood, (for I had not an opportunity of ^-isiting
them,) in a state ciiually enamragin^^ and prosjwrou*. Tlie young lu^groes
admitted into them were stated to have exhibitetl similar proofs of their
possessing a ready apprehension and a retentive memor}'; and while, by their

KOTEB AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 333

progress, they afforded the utmost satisfactioii to their teachers, their fadlity
of acquirement rendered the labour of instruction far leas difficult and tedious
than had been anticipated.

" In the meantime, a ' Royal Board of Public Instruction/ had been
estaUiahed, for the purpose of superintending the education of youth, and
of extending the present system, whenever it should become necessary. It
consisted of two dukes, five counts, and four barons, some of the most in-
telligent and active of Christophe's adherents, and therefore tlie best qua-
lified to undertake the duties which their situation involved.* In the
first account of their proceedings, published in the Haj^ian Gazette, they
dedare it as thdr belief that * Instruction, when founded on the true prin-
ciples of liberty, religion, and morals, is one of the most fruiti\il sources
<^ public prosperity, imd essentially contributes to the good order of society,
, and obedience to the laws.' And in conformity with these views, they express
their resolution ' to give reg^ular organziation to this important branch of
the administration, and to establish suitable regulations for its superintend-
ence.'

" The more especial objects of this Board were, to provide that ' education
he founded on good prindples, — viz., those of religion, respect for the laws,
and love to the sovereign ; to confirm tlie regulations alraidy ordained for
Hus purpose^ and to appoint such others as should be deemed expedient ; to
maintain order, discipline, and the observance of the rules, in the national esta-
hHshmeuts for public instruction already existing ; and to found new schools,
and colleges, or academies, whenever it should appear necessary.' To facilitato
the accomplishment of these objects, ' three inspectors were nominated fur
each establishment, chosen from among the respectable residents of tho
neighbourhood where it was situated; whose business it was to visit tbft
places of instruction, and to correspond with the Board on all things
relating to their appointment. In addition to which, one of its own mem-
bers was selected to make similar visits, at stated periods, and to render an
account of the state of the schools, and of the progress of education, as
reported by the inspectors and masters.' In pursuance of the same objects,
it was fVirther determined that the Board should, every six months, present
to the king a report of the progress of public instruction, with the names of
the masters most distinguished for their attention and care; and that, more
especially, to encourage the students of the different establishments, aimual
prizes^ granted by his migcsty, should be awarded to those who, by their
diligent and successful apx^Ucation, should merit particular distinction.

" Conformably with the general design of the ' Royal Board,' when tlio
sdiools had been some time in operation, and the elder boys had ac(iuired tlio
rudiments of knowledge, it was resolved that another establishment should
be founded for their further instruction, denominated tlio Royal College ; an
appellation, perhaps, somewhat nuusapplied, the institution being similar to tho
grammar schools, or to the more respectable academics in England. C;ip
Francois was fixed on for its situation, that place being the capital of tho
kingdom, and possessing greater advantages than any other. \Vhile a suitable
bnilding was preparing for the pivpose, a proposal was made to two English

* De Limonado and Dupuy were of the number.

334

NOTES AXD ILLL'STRATIOKB.

p'!it!<'inpn. ihroTiL'li tin* «uii'.i- mctniKii )>v vrhtch the I.dinra!<tcruui «rbon!!-
ii!:i-!or< hail Ui'n pr i-iintl, iiivitins liiciii ti> Hayti, to »n{ieriiiU'Ucl the iib>ti-
tiui'ii, ami oHi-riiv tlmii u liUnil ri liHiiitTatiun fur tkeir M.Ti'ii.*^ wlucj
)in>]hKi:tl ^:l« mtuqitctl. Tho MiiiliiitK uviv tlicii M-IectMl from aiit>'U^ \\»
liiMM- iiitTitirninH of tli'i*<' who had ]in'vii»i>1y distin^iuiOicU thcTnh'Ivtfc br
thvir (vtnthiit uml Mtiuirt'inciiU; uiul thu^ the rolkffce (if such it niUA U
i-alUil) wa* i>tal»rj>lHil, without i-lthiT iliificultv or di'luy.

*• A <iin>jdiTuhh' iiiuiiUt of iIm? il.t,vtii!ii vouth were iiow inntructcnl in Lii:lc.
En;.'V:«li. ami Fn'iuli o»!ii|K»iition. lii-iturk-, tri'«»jrrn|>hy, and uiatiieiiiutics. aud
tv (TV assisted in thi-^^f pursuit?* by tutor* uh(»%i> attaiimivuts fully ipialitkd
thfin to dinrt tltvir studits. Tlu* chissicul proftamor, on whrnu at tin?
drvolvid tht' ciitiiv rluir^* of thf colUv^s ilcvotcd hxuiisclf to a ta.NL ut viDCi-
]:dwinoTiH and irk«>iimi', with tlu* utn)(»<t zoal und diliinmce. He AT*m lo
»<i:ii]ilify hi^ iiHtniction*', m> »* to niuliT thi*m intA^UiiriMo to tlu* nlovtAt
undi'Mai.diiiir; ht- variv^l hi> method <if teaching: accurdiiig to tliv d:t!mwt
(M|iai-iti( < of hi:* pii]>ils; hf UMtNtod ihciii in thvir diffiLidtiec, aial emr'Unpi^d
tln'in hy hi:« iiiihlni-f-' a:.d pfi>ua-»ii'n«.; and U-in;: a ck-r^r^imin of li.o A:ij:lie«n
i-hiirih. hi* aildt-d to hi-* ii«.uul i'nprM^i'ni«nt< tlwt <if occusionully iiL«»trDi'tir^
lliv.ni in tlu- (I'M-trini-s unil jinH-i-pts of tJu- Christian n-Iiirion. Nor wa.* llrf
i-..ilhi nialiral proft >-.i»r h -.^ ind«(at.':::iMi' in liis cndeuviiurs to jm-niot*.- tlu-
i!..onivniir'it of th«>*«' «'<>uiniitt«.'<! to his rlKT^f. llr \v:is a irt-'ntioniuii ■■;*
rfn-Mi'nililv !»<.*ii-ntiti<' :iltainnirnl-. hi«»'hlv H'^jk ctfil hy ('lin>tophi> ami ::»t
ImmmI iif In-tnu'tlon i'.r W.* Miju-rii-i- ij«i::liliratl«jns, nnd (^.tt^-ini-d ftir 1>
uniiahlc ilNiMMti'-n and i>hliu*in:r di ]io:tn.i'i.1 h\ nil who hud tlu' )iapp:iK?« «-:
1i:»aii{iutintann'. Thi ii;;ii Tniaii'U»ti>iiif<i to tlir tihimti'-n of youth ]in*vi"r.>l}
ti» lii-> sirrival in Havti, hi^ ii, tini.it*' knouli-(l;zi' of niallM-nintics, ac«vn:p:*i.:i«l
ly :i i-ornt't jmLint-nt, « naM*-*! him tn ailnpt u ntrthod of ii;!»trr.rt:iL: iii"
]>iipil*> iKTticlly a«Ia]i**d tu thi-lr ahilitli-s :ind ut:aini'.:rnT?s: and whllr !:• ti.-
di.'av«)U?*i d t'l initiat*' th»'in into thr ilrn:rnt*« • tJ" f^rit ntv. ho \\a«» ijn: furir^'tlJ
to »'nc«)\ir.!L'»' thtni l>y tlii- nio-t iM.wrrliil motivih. l)f!»irov> at tho sr.n «.
timo « f i-nipIo\iTiLr hi« h-iMni- Ijuurs ii: thf | n'in«»tion ul' Minu» us«-ful i-l-jtv;,
h«- •=i'<:i-iiina'.lv di-livrrul l»-«tnn> <■!» n.ithjiui.*' iinil chtniiMr\; and \~.[:.j:
jinnidtd with thf ajir.m.ln" Tivi-i->sir}- tor ihi* pnrjn»s*', ho il!u<iat«d x\.*.iT
J Tint!] •!«■"« liy f-nltaMiMAii iin;i:it-.

** Indfi- tiu- tnitii'ii ot" thr-i- in-'tnirioiVi, thr studcntN made iNin»ii'. r;.-'i
ndvunn*^ in tho^r hranthi <* i;:' li-arnint; to vhirli the attt-ntit-n vx** i: -vi
<r.r«'<l«il. Tlif niaji'rit\ \\rr*- atilr. in a >h«irt tin.t, u* rt.-j-lnu- tl i- n.-. n
iM-y Latin ar.tlutr«» wilhont nnu-h diflicnlt) ; tht-y \\r«itf Kn;:li>li and Kni.ih
wi»)i I'li-if nn»l rnrni'tnr-''" ; ;ind thrv r^inriallv dfliirhtt"*! in tlu* xtudv i-i*
h:-»ti>rv and iri'<»in:n)li\, a!id rr;r.»Tili«l it ratluT a" a nvn^atinn than as a
ta-k. Th«' n«atln'niatic> alunr tl;i a- tinind so dii^it-iilt as to ntiViiit t\in

J ih!i' rnnt'imp-nit iit to indiin' thtTii tn jmn'i'id. H;:t if iL-y ii:;de

>loMrr ]triL'T»''- ill thi-* tlian in othir jiur^r.its. it an»M.* n-.«»n' ir.na tiio
]', «'ii'.:;.r :.|iplirati' n it rii|n*.rr*. tl.an tinTii uv.y ili ti'«l ii» thi.:r i:ui.'uii
jNiAii-. liny ]■:■*■«■>•«■ •!, i' wi.x » Aitii'ni, tl.f al'iliiy to '.<ain: lut h: d i:-.;
:.l\\u>> iVMilnrifU to ih v^i-xiTi- iti a '■ti^'.v »•> <h-v :ii;i'. ah^tnirt, an«l. to thos:
wl. » hav»- istt :i Lr«niu-» ]»i'i uliirly ::iia:»t«tl tn it. >o ntti-rly nnir.vitin^. Yrt a
Jiv. .who wrvi' di-l:!i;,:ui-lnd from tl.i- ii>t nion liir tliilr patiii:t a}ij»lii-;jt;o!i
tl:; n for jjualcr «ir.U..ni?).- i-f 1 urt» ■ r >tnnj:tlj of n.in:«.T\, -U^dih i^i>^-

NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

335

vcred; and liaving overcome the first difficulties, which to their fellow -
studenttf liad appeared insurmoxintable, they afterwards advanced with
considerable ease ; and at Icn^h became as familiar with the elements of
geometry and algebra as they were with their previous acqairements.

** Among other circumstances connected with their progress in this branch
of learning, the following may not be uninteresting. During the period
that the late Sir Home Popham was appointed to the Jamaica station, he
paid occasional visits to Cap Francois. On the last of those visits to tliat place,
whilst on his return to England, he made iiarticular inquiries respecting the
college, and went, in company with Baron de Dupuy, to see it. He was
exceedingly pleased on entering, at observing the order and regularity with
which it was conducted ; and was still more gratified by the exident pro-
gress of the students. Being informed by Dupuy that, among other things,
the mathematics also were taught, he was curious enough to try the pro-
ficiency of the class, by pointing out some geometrical propositions for them
to demonstrate. They readily constructed the diagrams, and gave the
demonstrations with correctness and facility; and the admiral appeared
singularly gratified with this unexpected proof of the ability and acquirements
of negroes."*

* Harvey's « Sketches of Hayti," pp. 200—215.

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** TUB Is aa screoablywwrllteD aofel I a»
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